Smoke free partnership

Global burden of tobacco use

margarida — 2009-01-21T10:20:07Z

Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the world today. Tobacco-related illnesses already kill 5.4 million people a year. If current patterns persist, smoking will kill more than 8 million a year by 2030, of which more than 80% will occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the world today. Tobacco related illnesses already kill 5.4 million people a year. If current patterns persist, smoking will kill more than 8 million a year by 2030, of which more than 80% will occur in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco consumption causes respiratory and lung disease, several cancers and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke.

In developed countries smoking causes 90% of lung cancers in men and up to 86% of cases in women. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer among males. In the USA lung cancer is the leading cause of death among women.

About 26% of all deaths from any form of cancer in the EU are caused by smoking.

16% of deaths from CVD in men and 5% in women are due to smoking. The numbers dying in the EU from CVD due to smoking rose by 13% between 1990 and 2000.

Of all deaths in the EU in 2005 caused by COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) more than 64% were attributable to tobacco.

Mortality from COPD is 14 times higher in cigarette smokers than in never-smokers. Lower respiratory diseases are also partly caused by tobacco use.

In the European Union over 650,000 Europeans are killed every year because they smoke, which accounts for one in seven of all deaths across the EU, and over 13 million more are suffering from a serious chronic disease as a result of their smoking.

Today, tobacco use rates are decreasing among European men while they are increasing among women, particularly in eastern, central and southern Europe. Tobacco use is also growing fast in low-income countries.

Tobacco-related illness already kills 5.4 million people a year worldwide

If current patterns persist, smoking will kill more than 8 million a year by 2030

In the EU over 650,000 Europeans are killed every year because they smoke

Tobacco kills up to one in every two long-term users, half of these in middle age

Sources and References:

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

WHO, The World Health Report 2003, Geneva, 2003; WHO, Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: the MPOWER package, Geneva, 2008

The cost of tobacco use

margarida — 2009-01-20T16:30:00Z

Tobacco growth and use poses a heavy burden on governments and society as a whole. Non-smokers also pay for the costs of smoking, primarily in the form of higher health insurances and medical costs related to second-hand smoke, leading to higher taxes and higher prices for healthcare products and services.

Tobacco growth and use poses a heavy burden on governments and society as a whole. Costs include indirect costs related to workday losses due to morbidity and direct costs associated with inpatient and outpatient care. Non-smokers also pay for the costs of smoking, primarily in the form of higher health insurances and medical costs related to second-hand smoke, leading to higher taxes and higher prices for healthcare products and services.

The estimate of direct and indirect costs of smoking for EU/EFTA countries is €97.7 billion, of which the direct costs of smoking are €49.83 billion, and the indirect costs of smoking are €47.87 billion. This amounts to between €211 and €281 per capita (for both smokers and non-smokers), or between 1.04% to 1.39% of the region's Gross Domestic Product in 2000.

Tobacco-related deaths result in lost economic opportunities. In the US, these losses are estimated at US$92 billion a year.

Tobacco control interventions are the second most effective way to spend health funds, after childhood immunisation. Measures to tackle tobacco use, such as tax increase, restrictions on advertising and promotion, and smokefree workplaces and public places, are cost-effective and do not require large investment of capital.

Tobacco-related diseases put a heavy economic burden on society as they increase healthcare expenditure and increase costs related to productivity losses and lost income tax and social security contributions

The estimated direct and indirect costs of smoking for EU/EFTA countries is €97.7 billion, of which the direct costs of smoking are €49.83 billion

Overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) is estimated to cost the EU economy €192 billion a year. This represents a total annual cost per capita of €391. Exposure to tobacco smoke is calculated to cause 22% of all cases of CVD in industrialised countries

The total financial burden of lung disease in Europe amounts to nearly €102 billion, a figure comparable to the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of the Republic of Ireland or €118 per capita.

Sources and References:

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

WHO, Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: the MPOWER package, Geneva, 2008

Exposure to tobacco smoke

margarida — 2009-01-20T16:25:00Z

More than 79,000 adults died in 2002 as a result of passive smoking in 25 countries of the EU. A total of just over 19,000 of the deaths were among non-smokers.

More than 79,000 adults died in 2002 as a result of passive smoking in 25 countries of the EU. The overall figure includes smokers and non-smokers, because inhaling side-stream smoke from cigarettes kills people in both groups.

A total of just over 19,000 of the deaths were among non-smokers.

Exposure to tobacco smoke poses a heavy burden on the health of Europeans, as well as on society as a whole. Research has shown that exposure to tobacco smoke increases morbidity and mortality. For instance, in the hospitality industry, exposure to tobacco smoke accounts for one death every working day across the EU.

Comprehensive smoking bans are cost-effective policy interventions to reduce exposure to tobacco smoke and, therefore, the economic and social burden that it poses to society. Furthermore, research evidence shows that smokefree policies reduce tobacco consumption and do not impact negatively on the hospitality industry.

More than 200 million European citizens are currently protected by good national smokefree laws. Visit the SFP interactive map to view which countries have implemented smokefree legislation

More than 79,000 adults died in 2002 as a result of passive smoking in the 25 countries of the EU

A total of just over 19,000 of the deaths were among non-smokers

Evidence shows that smokefree policies reduce tobacco consumption and do not impact negatively on the hospitality industry

Sources:

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

Smokefree Partnership, Lifting the smokescreen: 10 reasons for a smoke free Europe, Belgium, 2006

WHO, Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: the MPOWER package, Geneva, 2008

Reproductive health and child and infant health

margarida — 2009-01-20T15:52:10Z

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is an important cause of ill health for both mother and fetus.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy is an important cause of ill health for both mother and fetus. Exposure to tobacco smoke significantly reduces birth weight of the child, can cause pre-term delivery and increases the risk of spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Tobacco consumption increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

There is good evidence that second-hand smoke causes diseases in children, such as middle ear disease, respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function, childhood asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and lower respiratory illness.

Sources and References:

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

WHO, Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: the MPOWER package, Geneva, 2008

Tobacco and Poverty

margarida — 2009-01-20T15:50:00Z

Studies have shown that smoking is becoming increasingly concentrated in the lower socioeconomic groups. Tobacco control measures can help to decrease income and health disparity among the population.

Studies have shown that smoking is becoming increasingly concentrated in the lower socioeconomic groups.

A Eurobarometer published in 2003 showed that the prevalence of smoking in 2002 was consistently higher among the unemployed (54%) and among manual workers (51%) in the EU15. A study published by the UK Department of Health revealed that only 10% of females and 12% of males in the highest socioeconomic group are smokers; in the lowest socioeconomic groups the corresponding figures are three-fold greater: 35% and 40%. Similar findings were reported by a study published by the Estonian Ministry of Health on ‘Health behaviour among Estonian adult population': in 1990 daily smoking was considerably higher among males with low education and low income and among the unemployed in all age groups from 16 to 64 years.

The ASPECT report notes that smokers from the lower socioeconomic groups and their families not only carry a larger burden of smoking-related costs, they also spend a disproportionately larger share of their income on tobacco products and on smoking-related medical care. The report also notes that the combination of reduced disposable income and lower earnings has effects on these smokers' investment and consumption decisions.

The costs of tobacco consumption are thus borne by both the individual and the state. While individuals may eat lower quality food and spend less on preventive care, education and housing, the state often covers costs linked to providing medical care, and social and other services.

Sources:

Eurobarometer, Smoking and the Environment: Action and attitudes, Brussels, November 2003

UK Department of Health, Smoking kills – a white paper on tobacco, London: the Stationery office, 1998

Ministry of Health, Health Behaviour among Estonian Adult Population, Estonia, 2004

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future - The ASPECT report, Luxembourg, 2004

Further References:

Patrick West, Helen Sweeting and Robert Young: Smoking in Scottish youths: personal income, parental social class and the cost of smoking, Tobacco Control, 2007

Mohammad Siahpush, Matt Spittal, Gopal K. Singh: Smoking cessation and financial stress, Journal of Public Health, 2007

Graham H, Inskip HM, Francis B, Harman J, Pathways of disadvantage and smoking careers: evidence and policy implications, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2006: 60 (supplement 2)

Tobacco in low- and middle-income countries

margarida — 2009-01-20T15:47:30Z

Tobacco-related illnesses already kill 5.4 million people a year globally. If current patterns persist, smoking will kill more than 8 million a year by 2030, of which more than 80% will occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Tackling tobacco use can be shown to be crucial to any initiative on poverty reduction. Studies show that the poor are more likely to smoke, and the difference is even greater in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco use deepens poverty as money spent on tobacco is money not spent on basic necessities such as food, shelter, education and healthcare.

The poorest households in Bangladesh spend 10 times as much on tobacco as on education

In Uganda, 50% of men smoke, while 80% of the population lives on less than $1 a day

One in five young Nigerians smokes cigarettes, while the number of young female smokers rose ten-fold during the 1990s

In 2007 a US media company, Forbes, calculated that the loss of income per smoker per year in Namibia was US$448.61. With just over 1 million smokers, the national income loss equates to about $461 million

In Egypt, more than 10% of household expenditure in low-income homes is on tobacco

In Indonesia, where smoking is most common among the poor, the lowest income group spends 15% of its total expenditure on tobacco

A recent study carried out in India found that among men in the study who died at ages 30-69, smoking caused: 38% of all deaths from TB, 31% of all deaths from respiratory disease, 20% of all deaths from vascular disease and 32% of all deaths from cancer.

Sources:

ASH, BAT's African footprint, London, 2007

WHO, Report on the global tobacco epidemic, Geneva, 2008

The Oxford Health Alliance, Chronic disease: an economic perspective, London, 2006

World Health Organization, The Millennium development goals and tobacco control, Geneva, 2005

Prof Prabhat Jha et al, A nationally representative case-control study of smoking and death in India, New England Journal of Medicine, 358, 2008

ACS & UICC, The Tobacco Atlas, 2nd edition, 2006

European Commission, Tobacco or Health in the European Union: Past, Present and Future, Luxembourg, 2004

Further References:

Cora M. Best, Kai Sun, Saskia de Pee, Martin W. Bloem, M.D., Gudrun Stallkamp and Richard D. Semba, Parental tobacco use is associated with increased risk of child malnutrition in Bangladesh, Nutrition, 2007

Rijo M. John, Crowding out effect of tobacco expenditure and its implications on household resource allocation in India, Social Science and Medicine, 2008

Key figures on European smoking prevalence

xavier — 2009-01-19T10:41:00Z

The information provided on this page was taken from the WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic. Information on smoking prevalence and key tobacco control policies is provided to all EU Member States.

Legend

30% or more of adults are smokers

20-29.9% of adults are smokers.

15-19.9% of adults are smokers

15% or less of adults are smokers.

Source:

WHO, Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic: the MPOWER package, Geneva, 2008

The information provided on this page was taken from the WHO Report on the global tobacco epidemic. The SFP understands that some European countries may have further more detailed information, particularly regarding smoking prevalence. The SFP would be grateful if you could send us any information you may have to smokefree.partnership@ersnet.org.

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0 No data 000011

1 30 or more of adults are smokers 000011

2 20-29.9 of adults are smokers 1f0876

3 15-19.9 of adults are smokers 0357d4

4 15% or less of adults are smokers 87b4de

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1 Austria * Male current tobacco smoking%: 45.5 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 35.8 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 40.7 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 59 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 3.10

2 Belgium * Male current tobacco smoking %: 28.8 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 21.5 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 21.6 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 58 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 3.56

Bulgaria * Male current tobacco smoking %: 44.6 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 21.8 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 32.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: 28.6/39.2 * Taxation %: 60 * Price most widely consumed brand: BGN 2.43

Cyprus * Male current tobacco smoking %: … * Female current tobacco smoking%: … * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: ... * Youth current smoking m/f: 13.2/8.4 * Taxation %: 59 * Price most widely consumed brand: CYP 1.65

2 Denmark * Male current tobacco smoking %: 35.8 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 29.4 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 26.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 55 * Price most widely consumed brand: DKK 31.50

Ireland * Male current tobacco smoking %: 25.0 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 23.8 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 19.3 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 60 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 6.50

1 Estonia * Male current tobacco smoking %: 49.0 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 25.3 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 31.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: 31.2/27.3 * Taxation %: 54 * Price most widely consumed brand: EEK 19.61

2 Czech Republic * Male current tobacco smoking %: 35.9 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 23.4 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 25.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: 35.5/33.6 * Taxation %: 51 * Price most widely consumed brand: CZK 44 2

Finland * Male current tobacco smoking %: 30.7 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 21.0 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 21 * Youth current smoking m/f: … * Taxation %: 57 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 4.10

2 France * Male current tobacco smoking %: 34.4 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 22.7 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 27.1 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 64 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 5

2 Germany * Male current tobacco smoking %: 36 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 22 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 26.7 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 62 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 4.44

Greece * Male current tobacco smoking %: 62.4 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 32.8 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 48.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: 17.1/14.4 * Taxation %: 58 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 2.80 1

1 Croatia * Male current tobacco smoking %: 37.5 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 25.4 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 30.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: 20.7/16.8 * Taxation %: 49 * Price most widely consumed brand: …

1 Hungary * Male current tobacco smoking %: 44.6 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 30.5 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 34.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: 28/26.9 * Taxation %: 58 * Price most widely consumed brand: HUF 440

2 Italy * Male current tobacco smoking %: 30.6 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 16.4 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 22.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 58 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 3.20

1 Latvia * Male current tobacco smoking %: 53.2 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 19.1 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 32.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: 37.1/30.9 * Taxation %: 49 * Price most widely consumed brand: LVL 0.44

Slovakia * Male current tobacco smoking %: 41.4 * Female current tobacco smoking%: 18.5 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 25.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: 29.1/25.0 * Taxation %: 54 * Price most widely consumed brand: SKK 45

2 Lithuania * Male current tobacco smoking %: 44.4 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 17.6 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence%: 25.7 * Youth current smoking m/f: 36.8/28.1 * Taxation %: 40 * Price most widely consumed brand: LTL 3.75

1 Luxembourg * Male current tobacco smoking %: 37.1 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 27.3 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 30.9 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 57 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 2.88

0 Monaco * Male current tobacco smoking %: … * Female current tobacco smoking: … * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: ... * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: … * Price most widely consumed brand: …

2 Malta * Male current tobacco smoking %: 32.0 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 21.8 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 24.8 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 61 * Price most widely consumed brand: MTL 1.55

2 Netherlands * Male current tobacco smoking %: 38.3 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 28.5 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 29.6 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 57 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 4.00

Norway * Male current tobacco smoking %: … * Female current tobacco smoking: … * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: … * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: … * Price most widely consumed brand: …

1 Poland * Male current tobacco smoking %: 44.0 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 25.6 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 30.5 * Youth current smoking m/f: 21.4/17.3 * Taxation %: 57 * Price most widely consumed brand: PLN 5.85

1 Portugal * Male current tobacco smoking %: 38.5 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 24.3 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence: 31.7 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 61 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR 2.75

2 Romania * Male current tobacco smoking %: 45.2 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 23.6 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 27 * Youth current smoking m/f: 22.2/14.8 * Taxation %: 53 * Price most widely consumed brand: RON 4

2 Slovenia * Male current tobacco smoking %: 29.6 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 19.9 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 23.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: 22.9/23.5 * Taxation %: 58 * Price most widely consumed brand: SIT 475

1 Spain * Male current tobacco smoking %: 36.0 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 27.7 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 29.9 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 64 * Price most widely consumed brand: EUR2.25

3 Sweden * Male current tobacco smoking %: 19.8 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 22.7 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 16.2 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 49 * Price most widely consumed brand: SEK 40

7 Switzerland

1 Turkey * Male current tobacco smoking %: 53.3 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 20.5 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 30.1 * Youth current smoking m/f: 11.1/4.4 * Taxation %: 36 * Price most widely consumed brand: ...

2 United Kingdom * Male current tobacco smoking %: 34.7 * Female current tobacco smoking %: 31.1 * Age standardized adult smoking prevalence %: 28.4 * Youth current smoking m/f: ... * Taxation %: 63 * Price most widely consumed brand: GBP5.23