Combating tobacco use in Saudi Arabia: a review of recent initiatives

Abstract

Background: The tobacco use epidemic is one of the major global public health challenges and causes > 7 million deaths each year, including similar to 70 000 Saudis who die from smoking-related diseases. Aims: To present recent government initiatives in Saudi Arabia that have been designed to combat tobacco use in the country. Methods: This was a review based on secondary data sources such as published reports, articles in newspapers, and research studies published in various journals. Results: We present initiatives taken from June 2017 to April 2019 by the Saudi government to combat tobacco use, including value-added tax on tobacco, antismoking campaigns, antismoking clinics, mobile apps and other initiatives. Conclusion: The study suggests that the government should evaluate the impact of these initiatives on tobacco control in Saudi Arabia.