Palenie tytoniu a umieralność na choroby odtytoniowe w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej

Tobacco smoking and smoking-attributable mortality in Central and Eastern EuropeTobacco is the major determinant of the health gap between the east (EU10) and the west part (EU15) of European Union. Over half of the excess mortality among middle-aged men in the EU10 countries might have been avoided if the tobacco consumption of these men had been the same as that of equivalent men in the EU15. The role of tobacco in shaping mortality differences between the EU10 and EU15 countries in women is less prominent than in men. Nevertheless, about one fourth of the excess mortality among middle-aged women in EU10 countries can be attributed to their higher tobacco consumption. 41% of male deaths between 35 and 64 years were attributable to tobacco smoking in the EU10 countries compared with 33% in the EU15 countries. The figures for women were 17% in the EU10 and 14% in the EU15 countries. It is worth emphasizing that, in some EU10 countries, the tobacco control policies and programmes have already produced notable results on tobacco- attributable mortality, in particular among men.