The number of smokers continued to increase in 2014, following the trend from previous years. This happened in spite of widespread mass media coverage of the harmful effects of smoking on health. The young Iranian population, who face a complete ban on alcoholic drinks and many other attractions, regarded smoking as one of the few amusements allowed. The rapid growth of smoking tobacco (known as ghalioun in Iran) over the review period could be regarded as an example of this trend. It is worth mentioning that the very affordable unit price (US$1 per pack) played a key role in the development of this category over the review period.