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1. INTRODUCTION

although smoking is increasing in this region. It has been shown that annual
per capita consumption of cigarettes there is less than 100 (Corrao et al., 2000).
There is widespread use of other tobacco products (such as snuff and chewing
tobacco) in some countries, but the extent of adverse health consequences
of use of these forms of tobacco is still not clear.
In Stage 2 of the epidemic, about 50% of the men smoke and there is an
increasing percentage of women smokers. This is the case in China and Japan,
and in some countries in northern Africa and Latin America. In contrast, Stage
3 describes a situation in which there is a noticeable decrease in smoking
among men and women but there is increased mortality from smoking-
related diseases. Some countries in Latin America and eastern and southern
Europe fall into this category. A final stage is marked by decreasing smoking
prevalence, a peaking of deaths from tobacco-related disease among men
(accounting for about one-third of the total), and a continued increase in
deaths from tobacco-related disease among women. This is currently the case
in Australia, Canada, the USA, and western Europe. Table 1.1 shows the rates
of smoking for males and females and per capita consumption of cigarettes
in selected countries with data from all categories of smokers.

Table 1.1 Prevalence of smoking among adults and youths in selected
countries

Annual Prevalence of smoking (%)
per capita
Adults Youths
consumption
Country of cigarettes Males Females Males Females
Argentina 1495 46.8 34.4 25.7 30.0
Bolivia 274 42.7 18.1 31.0 22.0
Chile 1202 26.0 18.3 34.0 43.4
China 1791 66.9 4.2 14.0 7.0
Ghana 161 28.4 3.5 16.2 17.3
Indonesia 1742 59.0 3.7 38.0 5.3
Jordan 1832 48.0 10.0 27.0 13.4
Kenya 200 66.8 31.9 16.0 10.0
Malawi 123 20.0 9.0 18.0 15.0
Mexico 754 51.2 18.4 27.9 16.0
Nepal 619 48.0 29.0 12.0 6.0
Peru 1849 41.5 15.7 22.0 15.0
Poland 2061 44.0 25.0 29.0 20.0
Singapore 1230 26.9 3.1 10.5 7.5
Sri Lanka 374 25.7 1.7 13.7 5.8
USA 2255 25.7 21.5 27.5 24.2
Source: Mackay & Eriksen, 2002.
Alcohol

Alcohol and tobacco are similar in several ways: both are legal substances,
both are widely available in most parts of the world, and both are marketed

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Chapter_1 5 19.1.2004, 11:22