Evolución del consumo de tabaco en los últimos 20 años en Uruguay

Uruguay began a series of tobacco control policies following the ratification of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2004. Nearly two decades later, smoking continues to be a public health problem, a risk factor for chronic diseases, and the leading preventable cause of death in Uruguay. Between 2005 and 2017, the number of households spending on cigarettes has decreased by 20% to 40%, depending on the socioeconomic stratum, with the largest decrease observed in higher-income households. Regarding individual consumption, a decrease in the prevalence of smoking in the past month is observed among young people aged 13 to 17, dropping from 72% between 2003 and 2021. Additionally, there has been an increase in the age at which young people start smoking, rising from 13 to 14.4 years. For adults (aged 15 to 64), a decline in smoking prevalence is observed, although smaller than the decline seen among young people, at approximately 33% between 2006 and 2022, depending on the surveys and prevalence definition considered. Furthermore, the prevalence of smoking among men is consistently higher than among women, but reductions in prevalence over the period are greater among men (17% versus 7%). In terms of socioeconomic status, individuals with lower incomes (quintile 1) consistently have higher prevalence than those with higher incomes (quintile 5), and they also experienced a smaller decline in smoking rates during the years with available surveys.