WANA (Apr 21) – “If you had saved the money you spent on cigarettes, you could’ve bought a Mercedes by now.” This is a phrase smokers in Iran have heard time and again.

 

Iranians spent 843 million US dollars on cigarettes and hookah over the past year, according to the latest report by the Iranian Parliament’s Research Center. This amount could buy more than 35,000 units of the latest Mercedes-Benz models.

 

The report also states that around 70 billion cigarettes were smoked in Iran last year, with the average smoker consuming 13 cigarettes per day.

 

Of all cigarettes consumed, 98% were produced domestically, while 2% were smuggled into the country.

An Iranian woman smokes a hookah in a restaurant in Tehran, Iran October 6, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

An Iranian woman smokes a hookah in a restaurant in Tehran, Iran, October 6, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)