World Cancer Day: Tobacco, the leading preventable risk factor

February 4th marks World Cancer Day and with nearly 400,000 new cases and more than 157,000 deaths each year in France, cancers represent the leading cause of death in men and the second in women.[1]. Each year in France, tobacco is responsible for 75,000 premature deaths, including 45,000 from cancer. It constitutes thus the most important preventable risk factor for cancer.

In recent years, the effectiveness of cancer care has improved and overall cancer survival rates have improved significantly. However, the increasing incidence of cancer cases and deaths remains a major concern.

The burden of smoking on cancer incidence and mortality in France

According to INCA, 40% of cancers diagnosed in France remain preventable. Tobacco alone is responsible for 19.8 TP3T of cancers and is responsible for 68,000 new cases of cancer and 45,000 deaths among adults aged 30 and over each year.[2].

Tobacco use is implicated in 17 types of cancer and is the main risk factor for developing cancer of the lung, trachea, bronchi, mouth, colon, and bladder. Tobacco is also responsible for many other cancers (esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, pancreas, cervix, etc.).

The proportion of lung cancers attributable to tobacco is estimated at 80-85% of all these cancers, and smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by at least 10 to 15 times compared to a non-smoker. In France, in 2018, lung cancer caused 33,100 deaths. Exposure to secondhand smoke also significantly increases the risk of developing cancer for non-smokers and children, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30%.

A prevalence that remains high in France

Regulatory and prevention measures implemented between 2014 and 2019 contributed to a 16% decrease in daily smoking in France. Despite these efforts, the situation remains worrying, as three in ten French people aged 18 to 75 reported smoking (30%, 24%, ...[3]This daily smoking prevalence rate is one of the highest rates recorded in Western countries.

Smoking prevalence, although declining, also remains high among young French people. According to the latest ESCAPAD survey, at the national level, more than a quarter of young people (25.1%) aged 17 are daily smokers and almost six out of 10 young French people have already tried smoking.

Call for a tobacco-free generation by 2030

During the previous World Cancer Day, on February 4, 2021, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new strategy[4] fight against cancer with the launch of the 4th “cancer plan” (2021 – 2030)[5]Tobacco was at the heart of this new strategy, one of the objectives of which is to achieve a tobacco-free generation by 2030.

To achieve this ambitious goal, the president intended to take action by increasing the price of tobacco, expanding smoke-free areas, launching information campaigns on the toxicity of tobacco, and providing better support for those who quit smoking. January 18, 2021[6], 19 public health associations launched an appeal to include the fight against cancer in the public debate and urge presidential candidates to commit to a tobacco-free generation, notably through three strong measures: gradually banning the sale of tobacco, generalizing the smoking ban around all schools and strengthening the transparency of tobacco industry lobbying.

Read : the importance of cancer plans in the fight against smoking in France

©Generation Without Tobacco

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Keywords: World Cancer Day, Tobacco-Free Generation, 2030

[1] Cancers: key figures, National Cancer Institute, updated February 16, 2021, accessed February 4, 2022

[2] Overview of cancers in France - 2021 Edition Published by the National Cancer Institute (INCa)

[3] Pasquereau A, Andler R, Guignard R, Soullier N, Gautier A, Richard JB, Nguyen-Thanh V. Tobacco consumption among adults in 2020: results from the Public Health France Barometer. Bull Epidémiol Hebd. 2021;(8):132-9. http://beh.santepubliquefrance.fr/beh/2021/8/2021_8_1.html

[4] Decree No. 2021-119 of February 4, 2021 defining the 10-year cancer strategy planned in Article L. 1415-2 1o A of the Public Health Code

[5] Tobacco-free generationThe importance of cancer plans in the fight against smoking in France, April 9, 2021, accessed February 4, 2022

[6] Tobacco-free generation, Presidential elections: 19 health associations call on candidates to take action against smoking, January 18, 2022, accessed February 4, 2022