Tobacco control in Bahrain: an overview.

Tobacco control interventions in Bahrain started in the late 1970s and tobacco legislation was introduced in 1994. The tobacco control approach incorporated the international recommended strategies according to the Gulf Cooperation Council and World Health Organization. Recently the tobacco control plan and tobacco legislation were reviewed. A new national comprehensive plan is put forward for implementation by the Ministry of Health. This report examines the Bahrain tobacco control approach, focusing on tobacco legislation, youth smoking, waterpipe smoking, tobacco surveillance and the smoking cessation plan. A number of recommendations for further improvement are discussed.