Territorial inequalities in smoking
June 10, 2020
Par: chef-projet@dnf.asso.fr
Dernière mise à jour: June 10, 2020
Temps de lecture: 4 minutes
Good news: between 2016 and 2017, 1 million French people quit smoking. It would therefore seem that the National Tobacco Reduction Plan (PNRT) and prevention campaigns have borne fruit. However, a study by Santé Publique France (SPF) reveals that this cessation has been carried out in a heterogeneous manner depending on the region. The daily smoking prevalence among 18-75 year-olds stands at 32%[1]. However, this national average hides significant disparities which, when we look more closely, can be explained in particular by social and geographical markers.
Variability in smoking prevalence across territories
In France, regional disparities in smoking are undeniable. Various studies conducted by INSERM and OFDT (French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction) even divide French regions into three main categories: • Regions whose proportion of daily smokers between the ages of 18 and 75 is lower than the national average: Île-de-France (21.3%) and Pays-de-la-Loire (23%);
• Regions close to the national average: Brittany (26.5%), Normandy (25.6%), Centre-Val-de-Loire (28%), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (28.6%), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (26.2%) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (28.1%);
• Regions where the proportion of daily smokers is higher than the average: Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (32.2%), Occitanie (30.3%), Grand-Est (30.1%) and Hauts-de-France (30.5%). These regions have a particularly high incidence and mortality linked to tobacco-related pathologies such as lung cancer.
• In the French overseas territories, except on Reunion Island, smoking rates are lower than in mainland France.
Variability within territories, notably marked by social and geographical factors
The proportion of smokers is falling as the standard of living increases. "Smoking is socially marked, we smoke more when we are in an unfavorable socio-economic situation," Viet Nguyen Thanh, head of the addictions unit at Public Health France, explained to AFP.
In Brittany, for example, 39.21% of the first third of the population with the lowest incomes smoke, compared to 18.41% of the third third. In addition, the proportion of smokers also changes according to the level of education of individuals. Thus, in Occitanie, 33.21% of people without a baccalaureate smoke, compared to less than a quarter of individuals with degrees.
In light of these data, the better performance of Île-de-France could therefore be explained by the fact that the socio-economic level there is generally higher than in other French regions.
The case of border regions
Another factor influencing smoking prevalence is location, particularly border location. The four regions where people smoke the most actually share borders with countries where tobacco is sold more cheaply. In view of the last two factors mentioned,Regional plans to combat smoking, adapted to the specificities of these areas, could probably help to standardize LThese figures. A new barometer is planned by Public Health France for 2020.
These regional disparities should be circumscribed in a context of decline on a national scale. As a result of sustained public health policies and civil society initiatives, smoking is indeed on the decline in France.
Heavy smoking: the fight continues
Smoking is considered heavy when you smoke 10 or more cigarettes per day.. However, the study also showed that eIn 2017, among daily smokers, 66.8% smoked intensively. Alarming figures when we know the risks of pathologies linked to this practice.
Smoking and pregnancy: figures still too high
Public Health France alerts Also on the persistence of smoking before and during pregnancy. Thus, in 2016, the prevalence of tobacco consumption was still estimated at 16.2 %The risks to the fetus and the infant are nevertheless considerable, and information campaigns must therefore continue intensively.
[1] Public Health France. Weekly epidemiological bulletin n°15, May 28
[i] “Smoking and pregnancy: many risks for the unborn child” https://www.generationsanstabac.org/actualites/tabagisme-et-grossesse-de-nombreux-risques-pour-lenfant-a-naitre/
[i] "The influence of smoking on unborn children" https://www.generationsanstabac.org/actualites/influence-tabagisme-enfants-naitre/
Dora Laty, January 29, 2019, www.doctissimo.fr https://www.doctissimo.fr/sante/arreter-de-fumer/lutter-contre-le-tabagisme/tabagisme-en-baisse-avec-d-importantes-disparites-regionales
