More women smoking in Bahrain

A recent report from Bahrain’s Health Ministry has indicated that smoking among women is on the rise, according to a story in the Gulf Daily News.

The incidence of smoking among women currently stands at 7 percent, up from 5.7 percent in 1991.

The News story attributed the rise to “various reasons,” but suggested that women were picking up the habit while still at school because of peer pressure.

Officially, cigarettes were not sold to minors, the paper said, and the idea of selling cigarettes to young women was considered taboo.

However, the paper added that, according to [unnamed] sources, schoolgirls were able to obtain cigarettes “very easily.”

The News story pointed out, too, that many of the country’s doctors, health officials and teachers were smokers.