Muscat – A new World Health Organization report has shown that tobacco use rates are declining globally. However, Oman is among six countries in the world where tobacco use is rising.

The report shows that 150 countries are successfully reducing tobacco use, while six countries – Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman and Moldova – are still seeing tobacco use rising.

Globally, there are 1.25bn adult tobacco users, according to the latest estimates in the WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030 released on January 16.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Dr Jawad al Lawati, Senior Consultant and Rapporteur of National Tobacco Control Committee, said this trend is expected to continue if effective measures are not  implemented. “This is mainly because there is no comprehensive legislation in Oman for tobacco control at the moment, despite all other GCC countries having one.”