One-third of Karbala’s population smokers

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: A conference held today disclosed that smoking in Iraq has become a passage for different kinds of narcotics and cigarettes, pointing out that the percentage of the smokers in the province totaled one third of its population.  The Director General of Karbala‘s Health Department Dr. Ala Hammoudi told IraqiNews.com that the percentage of smokers in the province reached 35 percent of the population. This figure translates to more than one million inhabitants. He attributed reasons for this phenomenon to the economic situation, war, politics and poverty, as well as other social factors.  Dr. Isam Sultan Issa told IraqiNews.com “it is necessary to take all possible measures to limit smoking and increase awareness of the dangers of these materials.”  Karbala lies 108 km south of the capital, Baghdad. RM (TS)/SR 443