Sisay Derso, a non-communicable disease control specialist at the Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration, told Fidel Post that there are signs that the current number may be even higher. Previous research estimated that there are over 416,000 female cigar smokers in Ethiopia.
The expansion of shisha lounges and nightclubs and the rise in shisha sales are two aspects that stand out.
A research to determine the current smoking prevalence in Ethiopia will shortly be conducted by the World Health Organization, Public Health Institute, and other organizations. There are between 2.6 million smokers in Ethiopia, according to 2016 research.
He asserted that while older adults were the focus of earlier studies on tobacco use in Ethiopia, the current study will also cover adolescents above the age of twelve.
In Ethiopia, the average cost of a package of cigars is fifty birr.
Presently, an ad valorem tax of 30% and a particular rate of 8 birr are applied to each cigarette packet.
In order to deter smokers, sisay contends that the specific rate should rise to 25 birr.
According to him, a 12% decrease in cigar consumption might prevent 38,000 fatalities annually.
The link between cigar smoking and lung cancer was found in the 1950s, and further research has shown that it makes smoking cessation treatments unsuccessful.
Sinners with cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, hearing impairment, or diabetes are more likely to be treated and cured.