In a strategic meeting held on July 6, the Iranian Anti-Tobacco Association and SATRA officials discussed strengthening collaboration to combat the depiction and normalization of tobacco use in home video content and digital media. The session emphasized tobacco’s growing threat to public health in Iran, with over 150,000 cancer cases annually—one-third attributed to tobacco use—and societal costs exceeding 160 trillion IRR.
Dr. Mohammad Reza Masjedi, Secretary-General of the Association, highlighted the role of foreign tobacco lobbies in undermining public health and targeting youth and women through indirect advertising in films and media. He stressed the need for strict enforcement of national laws prohibiting all forms of tobacco promotion.
SATRA’s Deputy for User Affairs, Dr. Abbas Sayyah-Taheri, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to media regulation, stating that tobacco control is a priority alongside issues like age classification, family values, and content involving violence or sexual themes. He emphasized the harmful influence of tobacco imagery on youth and called for awareness campaigns and content creation that highlight the illegality of such depictions.
Scientific advisor Dr. Torkaman Nejad pointed to the tobacco industry’s targeted efforts toward students and youth and shared the success of the PAD (Tobacco Use Prevention) program implemented in schools. Both sides agreed on the need for continued synergy to reduce tobacco exposure in media and protect public health, especially among adolescents.
