Technicians from the Addictions Section of the Health Promotion Service of the Ministry of Health, Gemma Cestafe, the President of the Society of Family and Community of Rioja, Miguel Azofra, and the representative of the President of the Rioja Society for Addressing Smoking in Primary Care. The Rioja Society of Family and Community Medicine and the partner of the National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking, Patricia Gracia, presented the “24th week without smoke”, which until May 31 under the slogan “Better to ride than smoke or vape”. ‘.
The week without smoke is a program of the School of Health of La Rioja and the Rioja Society of the Family and the Public Community, organized on the occasion of the World Day without Tobacco (May 31), whose purpose is to teach and raise awareness among people. about the harmful and lethal effects of tobacco consumption and passive exposure to the smoke of this substance.
Consumption of tobacco and electronic cigarettes
According to data from the EDADES 2022 Survey of the Minister of Health on the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, tobacco is after alcohol, the second psychotropic substance with the highest amount in La Rioja and in Spain, as well as prevalent in consumption. 69 percent of people from the state of La Rioja had smoked tobacco at some point in their lives, which is very similar to the national ratio of 69.6 percent.
Men from La Rioja smoke more than women from La Rioja, with an average of 11.2 cigarettes a day compared to 10.6 cigarettes for women. Senior citizens aged 35 to 64 smoke, on average, 2.9 more cigarettes a day than seniors 15 to 34, who consume 9 cigarettes a day.
In our community, 11.9 percent of the population between the ages of 15 and 64 declare that they have smoked e-cigarettes at some point in their lives, compared to the national average (12.1 percent), although consumption has decreased compared to that. prior to the 2020 survey.
In secondary school aged 14-18, the national data from the summer 2021 report, the most recent available, show that, as in adults, tobacco is the second psychotropic substance with the highest consumption in this age group. the group behind the arc. In fact, 38.2 percent of students between the ages of 14 and 18 indicate that they have smoked tobacco at some point in their lives, 30.7 percent in the last year and 23.9 percent in the last 30 days.
The first contact with tobacco occurs, on average, 14.1 years ago, following a stable trend since 2016. The acquisition of daily smoke begins at an average of 14.7 years. Historically, the habit of smoking tobacco on a daily basis is more present in girls than in boys, although the differences between the two sexes have gradually narrowed until they reach a similar level of prevalence.
In the same year 2021, a little more than 169,600 secondary school students (74,500 men and 95,100 women) started smoking, with a higher incidence observed among girls.
Considering the daily consumption of data by age and sex, it can be seen that, with increasing age, consumption increases, since 18 years is the age of maximum consumption for both sexes.
The consumption of e-cigs carried out at some point in life by students between the ages of 14 and 18 is 44.3 percent, with young men having a greater consumption force than young women. It should be noted that in 2021 there was a break in the upward trend in both groups after the growth of 2012. In both sexes, the prevalence of electronic cigarette consumption increases with age, the highest recorded at 18 years with 58 percent in men. and 49.4 percent in women.
