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[Mortality attributable to tobacco smoking in Quebec]
B Lévesque1, L Rochette, S Gingras
1Santé et environnement, Centre de santé publique de Québec, Beauport.
Summary
Smoking causes significant preventable deaths in Quebec. This study found no regional differences in smoking-attributable mortality, highlighting a province-wide public health issue requiring urgent action.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Preventive Medicine
Context:
- Industrialized nations face high morbidity and mortality from tobacco use.
- Previous studies estimated smoking-attributable mortality for Quebec province, but not regionally.
- Regional analysis is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
Purpose:
- To calculate smoking-attributable mortality across socio-sanitary regions in Quebec.
- To analyze mortality data for 10 fatal diseases linked to smoking.
- To assess regional disparities in smoking-related deaths from 1984-1993.
Summary:
- Calculations used Canadian Census, Santé-Québec survey, Quebec death registry, and Cancer Prevention Study II data.
- Over the study period, smoking caused an estimated 24,637 deaths in women and 62,711 deaths in men.
- Attributable percentages were 29.4% for women and 51.2% for men, with no significant regional variations.
Impact:
- Smoking remains a major cause of preventable death in Quebec.
- The widespread impact of smoking necessitates a unified, province-wide public health strategy.
- Reducing smoking rates is essential for improving the health of all Quebec residents.