Tobacco use, which the World Health Organization calls the
"leading cause of preventable deaths in the world today," is
reportedly responsible for almost 4.9 million deaths per year
around the world. WHO views tobacco as the most dangerous consumer
product available, and the only legal consumer product that "kills
through normal use." While Gallup trends show that smoking is on
the decline, many around the world continue to smoke.
Gallup data from a recent three-country survey* suggest that
about a quarter of U.S. adults (26%) and Canadian adults (24%)
smoke cigarettes. Smoking is slightly more prevalent in Great
Britain, where 32% of adults reported smoking cigarettes in the
past week.
Trends
Historical Gallup data show that cigarette smoking in the United
States, Canada, and Great Britain has declined over the past 40
years. However, the decline is greatest in Canada -- the percentage
saying they have smoked in the last week has dropped 28 points,
from 52% in 1974 to 24% today. The percentage of Canadians who say
they smoke is currently as low as it has ever been during the
40-year trend, which may reflect the recent enactment of tougher
legislation on smoking in public and higher taxes on cigarettes. In
the United States, 40% of adults reported smoking in 1974, compared
with 26% today -- a far more modest decline. In Great Britain,
smoking prevalence has also experienced a 14-point drop since 1974
-- from 46% in to 32%.
Demographics
The prevalence of cigarette smoking is the same for men and
women in each country, but a look at Gallup's data broken out by
age group confirms the ongoing concern that younger people are
continuing to light up. Thirty-eight percent of young British
adults (aged 18 to 34) reported smoking in the last week, while 29%
of young Canadians (aged 18 to 29) and 28% of young American adults
(aged 18 to 29) said they had smoked.
WHO estimates that about half of children in the world are
exposed to secondhand smoke at home. In Great Britain and in
Canada, adults in households with children present are at least as
likely to be smokers as those who do not have children in the
household.
Bottom Line
In May 2003, WHO adopted an international treaty for tobacco
control -- the first legal document aiming to reduce the number of
worldwide tobacco-related deaths and diseases. This treaty, once
ratified, will help nations establish additional laws and
restrictions on the use of tobacco products. The Gallup data show
that while there have been significant declines in the incidence of
smoking, there is still much work to be done.
*Results for the United States are based on telephone
interviews with 1,007 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted
Nov. 3-5, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national
adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of
sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
Results in Canada are based telephone interviews with 1,012
national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Dec. 5-11, 2003. For
results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say
with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is
±3 percentage points. The survey was conducted by Gallup
Canada.
Results in Great Britain are based telephone interviews with
1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Dec. 2-21,
2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one
can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling
error is ±5 percentage points. The survey was conducted by
Gallup UK.
Results for the Canada and Great Britain surveys may not equal
100% due to rounding error.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into
the findings of public opinion polls.
