Estimated smoking-attributed mortality in Saudi Arabia before and after the MPOWER implementation.

Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of death globally, including in Saudi Arabia, attributed to 6 million deaths yearly in the last decade. Previous studies showed the impact of MPOWER on smoking is relatively prevalence. However, smoking-attributed mortality has not been evaluated. The current study examines the impact of MPOWER policies on smoking-attributed mortality in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Primary data source was open and derived from Our World in Data (OWID). We extracted the data for smoking-attributed mortality in Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019 from OWID public use files for researchers.

Results: In the population-based data, there has been a consistent increase in smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia from 2000 (13.32%) to 2013 (14.62%). There was a nearly 11% increase in smoking prevalence in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2013. In 2013, smoking prevalence declined slightly from 14.62% to 14.36% in 2019. The smoking attributed mortality has increased by nearly 45% from 2000 to 2019. The MPOWER approach's first implantation and recorded score were 19 in 2011. The MPOWER score has also increased from 19 in 2011 to 32 in 2019.

Conclusion: Smoking is associated with various health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and other illnesses. However, the good news is that effective tobacco control policies, such as the MPOWER measures developed by the WHO, have been shown to be effective in reducing smoking rates and related mortality over time. The evidence suggests that countries implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies, including MPOWER measures, can significantly reduce smoking prevalence and related mortality in the long term. Therefore, while smoking remains a significant public health challenge, evidence-based tobacco control policies such as MPOWER can help reduce smoking prevalence and smoking-attributed mortality.