Smoking remains a problem in SA

This is according to the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council and Medical Research Council (HSRC).

The survey revealed information about emerging epidemics of non-communicable diseases, including underlying social, economic, behavioural and environmental factors that drove these diseases in the country’s population.

HRSC CEO, Professor Olive Shisana, and Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, launched the survey in Pretoria.

In his presentation, Professor Shisana said tobacco usage in South Africa continued to be a serious preventable problem.

“The results of the survey showed that although current tobacco smoking rates had declined over the last two decades, the prevalence of tobacco smoking in the South African population was still substantial and 16.4 percent of the population smoked currently. These smokers may continue to expose their families to second-hand tobacco smoke,” he said.

The study also revealed that smoking varied among different groups in the country.

It showed a 37.7 percent proportion of coloured people who currently smoke tobacco was twice as high as the national average of 16.4 percent.

“Generally, women smoke less than men but the proportion of coloured women who smoke, at 33.2 percent, is nearly five times higher than among South African women in general, at 6.9 percent,” said Shisana.

It also showed that the younger the smoker, the younger the age at which they started smoking.

“This suggests that the strategies of the industry to recruit smokers in adolescence are bearing fruit, and government needs to tighten its measures to protect young people from tobacco,” said Shisana.

The HRSC said this information would assist policy makers and programme managers to identify specific target areas that need attention as part of a comprehensive approach, to address emerging diseases and the social factors that impact on health and systems.