Smoking rates in the Caribbean exceed the global average, while the rise of vaping may push the figu

Smoking has become an increasingly concerning issue in the Caribbean, especially among teenagers. According to data from the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 11.3% of adolescents aged 13 to 15 in the region use tobacco, compared with the global average of 10.3%. In June 2023, HCC held a webinar titled "Clearing the Air – Vaping and Youth in The Caribbean" to release its new report, "Vaping AMOng Adolescents and Youth in The Caribbean: Situation, Policy Responses, and Recommended Actions." Experts at the event stressed the urgency of taking action given the high prevalence among Caribbean youth.

Thanks to regional tobacco control efforts, smoking rates in the region have declined over the past few decades. PAHO, the World Health Organization (WHO) office for the Americas, estimates that "between 2007 and 2015, the prevalence of tobacco smoking fell from 22.1% to 17.4%, a drop larger than that recorded globally." This trend is expected to continue, with the region becoming "the only WHO region on track to achieve a 30% relative reduction in current smoking prevalence by 2025." Jamaica has the highest youth smoking rate in the region at 28.7%, followed by Colombia at 22% and Chile at 19.7%. Brazil has the lowest youth smoking rate in the region, thanks to tobacco control measures introduced in the country such as advertising bans, health warnings, and flavor bans.