The National Centre for Human Rights has followed the issuance of an amended regulation to the Special Tax Regulation for the year 2025, covering a number of goods and products related to heated tobacco and electronic cigarettes. In this context, the Centre affirms the necessity for taxes imposed on electronic cigarettes to be aligned with international human rights standards, national legislation, and public policies, foremost among them the National Tobacco Control Strategy, and to be designed in a manner that contributes to reducing tobacco consumption in all its forms. The Centre calls upon all relevant entities to review the regulation in a way that ensures consistency with these considerations and guarantees that individuals can attain the highest achievable standard of health.
Combating tobacco use and smoking in all their forms constitutes one of the core components of the right to health, as guaranteed under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Jordan has ratified and published in the Official Gazette.
National legislation has also guaranteed this right, most notably the Public Health Law No. (47) of 2008 and its amendments, including provisions specifically addressing smoking and the conditions related thereto.
Furthermore, the National Tobacco and Smoking Control Strategy, in all its forms, represents the national regulatory framework governing the objectives and measures that must be adopted to combat smoking. Foremost among these is:
“Strengthening and implementing policies to reduce demand for tobacco products, including tax increases, through raising and harmonizing taxes on tobacco and nicotine products in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,” as indicated by the Strategy.
In this context, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control stipulates a set of tax measures aimed at reducing demand for and consumption of tobacco, which would contribute to achieving health-related objectives associated with limiting its use.
Based on the above, and in order to promote and protect the right to health, one of the key pillars of the Economic Modernization Vision, and as also emphasized in the Royal Throne Speech regarding the need to accord it the highest priority in follow-up and implementation, this approach would lead to improved health well-being and enhanced quality of life.
