Prevalence of tobacco use among the adult Lebanese population

To determine the prevalence of smoking in Lebanon, 727 individuals aged > or = 19 years were randomly selected for study using Emile Roux and Fagerstrom questionnaires. Smokers were defined as those answering "yes" to the question, "Do you currently smoke?" A Fagerstrom score > or = 6 indicated strong nicotine addiction. The prevalence of smoking was 53.6%. The male/female ratio was 1.23, with 67.0% of smokers categorized as addicted. Failure to quit was related to withdrawal symptoms, mostly irritability (57%) and weight gain (20%). Recommendations are given for combating this high prevalence of tobacco use.