The average age of the first exposure to cigarette smoke among Tunisians is 7, the World Health Organization's data shows.
Approximately 20% of deaths in the North African nation are attributed to smoking and its adverse effects.
Dr. Olfa Saidi, WHO's officer in charge of non-communicable diseases and mental health in Tunisia, said there was an increase in the number of tobacco users among young people.
She said that the availability of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco had enticed more young people into smoking.
The law
The consumption rate of electronic cigarettes among people aged between 15 and 17 stood at 17% in Tunisia in 2021, the country's health ministry says in a report.
At least 14% of Tunisians were using conventional tobacco as of 2021.
Saidi said that cigarette use among women and young girls was also on the rise, adding that 18% of cigarette-related deaths in Tunisia are attributed to passive smoking.
Tunisian law does not prohibit sale of cigarettes to minors or sales near educational and university establishments.
In 2013, the country's health ministry proposed an amendment to the anti-smoking law, aimed at protecting young people from passive smoking, but little progress has been registered.
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