Each year, the tobacco industry spends millions of dollars on media and marketing to promote and normalize tobacco and increase its consumption, especially among youth. As per the latest data, the prevalence of tobacco use among adults in the region is relatively high compared with the global rates. Rates of smoking reach around 41% in Jordan, 22.8% in Egypt, 20.7% in Iraq and 31.3% in Palestine according to STEP surveys or population studies.

 In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, there is a great need to build on the COVID-19 response momentum and call on governments and civil societies to enforce smoke-free laws and implement other tobacco control policies and to disseminate targeted mass media messages to support and encourage smoking cessation.

 In response to this need, a mass media campaign United Against Tobacco and COVID was launched to disseminate country-tailored and culturally appropriate risk messages to highlight the harms of tobacco, educate and promote tobacco use cessation, while aiming to change tobacco-related behaviors in the region.