Fatti e cifre sul fumo di tabacco; Piemonte 2005

[Machine translation] Introduction. The attention of the Piedmont Region to the fight against smoking takes a step forward with the publication of the annual bulletin “Facts and figures on tobacco smoking in Piedmont”, published starting in 2005. Methods. The bulletin contains sections updated annually and dedicated to prevalence, hospitalizations and mortality attributable to smoking in Piedmont. To estimate the prevalence of smokers, the ISTAT 1980-2000 sample surveys and the 2002 Multiscope survey were used. Attributable mortality was estimated based on ISTAT mortality data 1995-2001 and prevalence data, assigning a delay of 15 years to take into account the latency of the effect; the relative risks were estimated on the basis of meta-analytic literature data. Deaths attributable to smoking and the percentages attributable to groups of related smoking causes were calculated from 1995 to 2001. Attributable hospitalizations were calculated based on data from the 1996-2003 Hospital Discharge Sheets (SDO). Results. In 2002, the prevalence of smokers in Piedmont was 25.2%. There was a decrease in the phenomenon during the study period: in 1980, 36% of the population smoked. The prevalence in 2002 was 31.6% among men and 19.1% among women. In 2003, 4.6% of hospitalizations were attributable to tobacco smoke (7.8% in men, 1.6% in women). The majority of these hospitalizations are concentrated in the population under 75 years of age, with a marked decrease since 1996, especially with regard to cardiac ischemia and stroke. In 2001, 5662 people died in Piedmont as a result of tobacco smoke, 20.5% of all deaths among men and 4% among women. In the under-75 age group, deaths due to smoking are 25% among men and 9% among women. More than 50% are caused by tracheal, bronchial and lung cancer. Among women, the number of deaths attributable to smoking is much lower, but it is increasing. Even for women, the leading cause of smoking-related death is lung cancer. Conclusions. The prevalence of smokers in Piedmont appears to be decreasing among men, stable among women. 20% of deaths among men are attributable to smoking. Monitoring the phenomenon appears necessary for the planning of prevention and cessation interventions.