TEHRAN The director general of the eastern Mediterranean department of the World Health Organization (WHO), Hossein Jazaeri, has announced that smoking-related diseases are responsible for 4 million deaths around the world every year. "There is a need for a serious campaign to combat this problem, which should involve legal strategies," he added.

In spite of continuous efforts to control smoking, the eastern Mediteranean region has witnessed an increase in the number of smokers, particularly among women and youth. In some countries, the proportion of women who smoke has reached 29 percent of the population.

Jazaeri criticized the actions of cigarette manufacturers, especially in the Persian Gulf states, and said a different system to support society's health was needed.

"We should devise different strategies to prevent a further increase in the number of smokers," he said.

Unfortunately, the multi-national companies that produce cigarettes control not only the manufacture but also the prices of their products. p.4