Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, president of the Kuwait Association for Combating Smoking and Cancer, pointed to the improved cessation rate as evidence that specialized support helps those seeking to break the habit, according to his statement carried by the Kuwait News Agency on Monday. Al-Saleh tied the progress to ongoing national awareness efforts that coincide with fresh World Health Organization alerts about the swift spread of nicotine pouches, particularly among young people and teenagers. The association leader stressed that marketing tactics using flavors, eye-catching packaging, social media influencers, and sponsorships of sports or music events require vigilance to protect younger demographics. Kuwait maintains a network of cessation clinics that have operated for decades, a program the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean office noted began in the early 1980s and expanded nationwide by ministerial decree in 2003.
The WHO office assessment found those early clinics achieved average six-month success rates near 30 percent while offering free medical checks, nicotine replacement therapy and counseling sessions held twice weekly. Al-Saleh told KUNA that raising awareness of nicotine product risks remains essential, especially for adolescents, and urged current smokers to use the dedicated cessation clinic services for professional guidance. He added that quitting delivers clear health benefits by lowering the chance of tobacco-linked diseases, a position that aligns with broader regional data from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction showing Kuwait’s adult smoking prevalence at roughly 24.5 percent.
A 2023 Global Youth Tobacco Survey fact sheet from the WHO placed current electronic cigarette use among Kuwaiti students aged 13 to 15 at 14.5 percent overall, with 20.8 percent of boys and 9.1 percent of girls reporting use in the past 30 days. More than half of the surveyed student smokers wanted to quit, and nearly six in 10 had attempted to stop within the previous year, figures that underscore demand for support services. The Ministry of Health has responded with Ministerial Decision 237 of 2026, which regulates all tobacco, nicotine and delivery systems including electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco and pouches, according to details released by the ministry in August.
The Health Ministry decision, issued by Minister Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi, prohibits sales, delivery or provision of these products to anyone under 21 and bans online transactions entirely, with enforcement scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2027. It further forbids health or therapeutic claims suggesting the items are safe or aid quitting unless the ministry grants explicit approval, while classifying vaping and heated tobacco use as equivalent to smoking in all public places where cigarettes are already barred. Ministry teams will handle inspections, violation recording, product seizures and removal of non-compliant advertising, including digital promotions, under the new framework.
Kuwait ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2006 and has since layered national policies to curb both traditional smoking and emerging nicotine alternatives, an approach reflected in the latest regulatory package. Al-Saleh encouraged anyone interested in quitting to contact the cessation clinic directly at 94704366 for registration and specialized advice. The combined measures aim to sustain the observed rise in successful quit attempts while limiting youth access to nicotine in any form.
