Damascus, Aug. 16 (SANA)Syria’s Health Ministry on Sunday presented the findings of a nationwide smoking survey as part of efforts to develop a comprehensive national strategy to curb tobacco use in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS).

The findings were presented during a two-day workshop in Damascus attended by representatives of the ministries of Endowments, Culture, Interior, Justice, Finance, Economy and Industry, Social Affairs and Labor, and Agriculture, as well as experts fromWHOandSAMS.

Deputy Health Minister for Health Affairs Hussein al-Khatib said smoking posed economic, social and development challenges, placing pressure on the healthcare system, reducing productivity and exposing families to the effects of secondhand smoke.

Al-Khatib called for an integrated national response combining legislation, monitoring, prevention, public awareness and healthcare services. He said theNational Anti-Smoking Commissionwould play a central role in coordinating and implementing the strategy.

Primary Healthcare Director Dr. Mohammad Salem said the national survey analyzed 11,300 questionnaires completed by people aged 15 and older across all governorates.

The survey assessed nicotine dependence and the economic burden of smoking, providing data that could help guide efforts to reactivate tobacco-control policies, Salem said.

Dr. Mazen Kewara, SAMS regional director for the Middle East, said the survey was intended to support Syria’s efforts to strengthen tobacco control through cooperation among government ministries and the development of practical intervention programs.

WHO Deputy Representative in Syria Dr. Mohammad al-Safadi pointed to tobacco-control programs in Türkiye, Uruguay and Brazil, saying they had helped reduce smoking rates by between 30% and 40% over periods of 10 to 15 years through changes in social attitudes and the broader cultural environment.