By 2015 WHO (world health organization) estimated that 2,120,000 smokers would die from cancer, 1'870,000 from respiratory diseases and 1'860,000 from cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the world health organization considered that the best way to reduce tobacco consumption was by raising taxes on tobacco, a measure that is likely to be effective. But in countries like Colombia, it will affect more the young people whose economy is more fragile and are the group most at risk from smoking (young people between 18 and 34 years).
According to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, in the final report of the needs assessment for the expansion of the framework agreement on tobacco control, the prevalence of cigarette consumption in Colombia is currently 12.8% in men and 7, 4% in women between 18 and 69 years. This is a figure that has gradually declined since 1993, in which a prevalence of 21.4% was evidenced and subsequently was 18.9% in 2007. Although this is a national prevalence, it varies a lot according to the department being evaluated. For example, the national territory with the highest prevalence is Antioquia (17.2%) and the smaller one is Caqueta (6.6%).
On the other hand, cigarette consumption varies according to the age group being evaluated. For example, in young people between 11 and 12 years of age, 2.8% say they have smoked in the last month, whereas in people between 16 and 18 years of age the figure rises to 17.4%.
Recently in the country the public policies have been launched (Generacion mas: we are more without tobacco in 2012 for example) looking for the reduction of the consumption of tobacco in Colombia. This is due to the great impact of this substance on the population, it is estimated that although 82% of the population does not smoke annually in the country 21,765 people die from diseases attributable to tobacco consumption. Of these deaths, neoplastic diseases of the trachea, bronchi and lungs are attributed to the not inconsiderable figure of 3,076 deaths per year, ischemic heart disease attributable to smoking 8,595 deaths, 4337 of these deaths from cerebrovascular diseases attributable to tobacco consumption and 4,584 secondary to chronic lower respiratory diseases attributed to tobacco use.
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