WHO estimates for Jamaica proportion deaths attributable to tobacco, 2004

[Source: WHO global report: mortality attributable to tobacco, 2012]

• Tobacco is responsible for 11% of all NCDs, 3% of communicable deaths in Jamaica
• Within the NCD disease group:
  • Ischaemic heart disease accounted for 324 deaths per 100,000 population aged 30 years and over, with 6% of these deaths attributed to tobacco.
  • Cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung accounted for 31 deaths per 100,000 population aged 30 years and over, with 71% of these deaths attributed to tobacco.
• Within the communicable disease group, deaths attributed to tobacco accounted for 10% of all lower respiratory infection deaths and 8% of all tuberculosis deaths
• The proportion of deaths attributable to tobacco was almost 12% for men and 6% for women
• Among those who died prematurely, almost one (1) in every forty-four (44) deaths among those aged 30-44 and one (1) in ten (10) among those 45-59 years were attributable to tobacco use.
• Dr Dingle Spence reported that 90% of Lung cancer cases seen at Hope Institute were because of tobacco use. – unpublished data

 

COST FOR NCDs (no stand-alone data available for Tobacco only)

• A recent Harvard study estimates the economic loss from the 4 main NCDs and Mental Health from 2015 to 2030 is US$17 billion in Jamaica, which is equivalent to an annual tax rate of 3.9%

Source: The Economic Burden of Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health Conditions: Estimates for Costa Rica, Jamaica, Peru. Bloom D. Chen S., McGovern M. et al 2016.

2016 National Drug Prevalence Survey, Jamaicans 12-65 years old (provided by National Council on Drug Abuse) – preliminary findings (unpublished)

• Average age of first use of tobacco 15-16 years in males and later in females
• Current cigarette use among females has remained the same since 2001 (5%) and has decreased by 5% among males.

 

DOWNLOAD: Economics of Tobacco Control