Brazil rejoices as number of smokers plunges
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The percentage of male smokers dropped from 43.3% in 1989 to 18.9% in 2013. Among women, the rate fell from 27% to 11% over the same period.
Ten years ago Brazil entered the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization, created for defeating the global tobacco epidemic. The country recorded a plunge in the number of smokers, especially among young and less educated men. The percentage of male smokers dropped from 43.3% in 1989 to 18.9% in 2013. Among women, the rate fell from 27% to 11% over the same period.
"It's a challenge to be a member of the Framework Convention, but we are sure that these guidelines are critical to improving the population's quality of life and longevity," said today (Nov. 5) Health Minister Marcelo Castro, while attending the ceremony to celebrate the date, at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) headquarters in Brasília
According to a recent study by the National Cancer Institute (INCA), in partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil stood out positively regarding the smoking reduction among young and less educated men. In most countries, this reduction is lower among less educated people for several reasons, like greater difficulty in accessing information and treatment.
The survey also reveals another breakthrough among men: a rise in the number of males younger than 25 who quit smoking (24.8% from 2008 32.6% in 2013) was considerably larger than that among men older than 25 (52.9% to 55.1%). “All over the world, Brazil is known for its successful anti-smoking policies. The reduction in the number of smokers, when they once amounted to as much as 40% of the country's population, is an achievement that should be celebrated. At the same time, however, it keeps our eyes open and urges us to fight on,” said the health minister.
Smoking is still among Brazil's biggest public health issues, according to a study conducted by INCA. In 2011, smoking was responsible for 147 thousand deaths, 157.1 thousand heart attacks, and 75.6 thousand strokes, and 63.7 thousand cases of cancer.
The convention gave rise to the first international public health treaty on the topic, adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003. It has been joined by 180 countries, and, in Brazil, the deal is used as a map for National Policy for Smoking Control (PNCT, in the original Portuguese).
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta and Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Brazil rejoices as number of smokers plunges
