Big falls in daily smoking

About 18 percent of people living within the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are smokers, according to a News-Medical.net story relayed by the TMA.

This figure is included in the latest edition of the ‘Health at a Glance’ report, which is said to be based on the most recent comparable data on the health status of populations and health system performances in the countries of the OECD.

The report indicates, too, that 14 percent of females and 23 percent of males in these countries are smokers.

In Greece, Hungary, Turkey and Indonesia, which have the highest proportions of smokers, more than 25 percent of the population smokes.

In Mexico and Brazil, which have the lowest proportions of smokers, under 10 percent of the population smokes.

The report shows that the highest rates of female smokers occur in Austria, Greece and Hungary, where more than 20 percent of women smoke, while in South Korea, Mexico, China, India and Indonesia the rate of female smoking is under five percent.

Smoking accounts for almost 40 percent of the male populations in a number of countries, including Turkey, China, Indonesia and Russia, while smoking accounts for under 10 percent of the male populations of Iceland and Brazil.

The smoking gender gap is at its lowest in Denmark and Iceland, and at its highest in Indonesia, China and Russia.

According to the report, the biggest falls in daily smoking between 2000 and 2015 occurred in Greece, Hungary, Turkey and Indonesia, while the least change was seen in Mexico and Brazil.