Tobacco smoking in Iran

In Iran, smoking is legally permitted, but there are regulations governing tobacco products, including cigarettes. Under these regulations, tobacco advertising is strictly controlled, with a total ban on all forms of promotion. Cigarette sales and smoking are allowed, but they are not allowed to be purchased online or from vending machines. Additionally, health warnings are required on cigarette packaging, there is a minimum legal sales age of 18 years, and there are legal restrictions on smoking in public places. A total taxation rate of 25.69% with no excise tax rate are applied to cigarettes.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking is a significant public health concern in Iran. As of 2024, there were approximately 5.8 million smokers among the population aged 15 years and older. This shows that the overall current prevalence of adult tobacco smoking was 8.4%, with a notable gender disparity: 16.2% of males and 0.5% of females were current somkers. These figures represent a slight decrease from 2020, where the prevalence was 10.2% overall, with 19.2% among males and 1.2% among females. In 2016, the adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence was 13.6% overall, 24.4% among males and 3.8% among females.

The annual number of deaths attributable to tobacco smoking in Iran was 34,676 in 2021, including 28,632 deaths among males and 6,044 deaths among females. This shows that tobacco-related mortality accounted for 6.09% of all deaths in the country, with the percentage higher recorded among males (8.33%) compared to females (2.68%). These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge of tobacco smoking in Iran, reflecting a need for continued public health measures to address tobacco health impacts.