Rabat - Cigarette-related diseases cause 8 percent of overall deaths in Morocco, Health Minister Houciene El Ouardi said Wednesday.

Rabat – Cigarette-related diseases cause 8 percent of overall deaths in Morocco, Health Minister Houciene El Ouardi said Wednesday.

75 percent of smoking-related deaths are due to lung cancer, while 10 percent are caused by respiratory diseases, El Ouardi pointed out in a seminar on smoking held in the House of Representatives.

The Health Minister revealed that Morocco has one of the highest number of smokers in the MENA region, warning against this “world epidemic” and “real danger for global health.”

“Cigarette smoking is one of the main causes of deaths that we can avoid. Every year, it claims the lives of up to 6 million people worldwide,” he concluded.

MWN with MAP