A strategic meeting between the Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs and the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association was held to address the rising trend of tobacco use among women and adolescents, particularly the increasing popularity of hookah. The session focused on designing targeted, evidence-based interventions with an emphasis on cultural sensitivity and intersectoral collaboration.
Vice President Zahra Behrouz Azar highlighted the manipulative marketing tactics of tobacco companies aimed at women and stressed the need for precise counter-strategies rooted in social marketing and behavioral insight. She emphasized the importance of engaging civil society, artists, and media professionals to reshape public perception and reduce the normalization of tobacco use in visual media. Dr. Mohammad Reza Masjedi, Secretary-General of the Anti-Tobacco Association, warned about the dominance of foreign tobacco firms in Iran, insufficient taxation policies, and the alarming decrease in the age of smoking initiation, particularly among girls. He called for stricter enforcement of existing tobacco control laws and the elimination of tobacco imagery from media content.
Technical advisor Dr. Nader Asgari presented data indicating a sharp rise in smoking prevalence among teenage girls and outlined key target groups for intervention, including students, pregnant women, and families. He confirmed that a national action plan and strategic framework are under development, with support from the Vice Presidency.
The meeting concluded with a call for the formation of a joint task force to strengthen legislative, cultural, and educational actions, ensuring that women-focused tobacco prevention becomes a national health priority.
