Resumen

PINILLOS A, Luis, QUESQUEN P, Mercedes, BAUTISTA G, Félix et al. Tabaquismo: un problema de salud pública en el Perú. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica, Ene./mar. 2005, vol.22, no.1, p.64-70. ISSN 1726-4634.

Tobacco use is currently a public health problem which represents a global epidemic responsible of an enormous damage to people's health. Worldwide, 1100 million people smoke, 4 million die every year because of diseases related to tobacco use, and it is estimated that the death toll will be as high as 10 million people for year 2030; 7 million of such deaths will correspond to developing countries. Tobacco use in Peru for the year 2000 indicates that 61% of men and 46% of women had smoked at least once in their lives; and that 40% of women older than 18 years old and 60% of men older than 18 years old had smoked in the past year. There is a well-established cause-effect and dose-effect relationship between smoking and cancer; malignancies where this association has been proven include the following sites: oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, respiratory tract, and urinary bladder. These malignancies have been notified in both active and passive smokers. In spite of all the evidence indicating that smoking affects health, tobacco companies increase their advertisements using misleading messages, associating tobacco use to glamour, pleasure, sports, and even health. The campaign against tobacco as a prioritary action within the world's sanitary policy led to an international legal instrument which will limit worldwide spread of tobacco use, thorough a Global Agreement for Tobacco Control, which is a compromise from the signing countries in order to have an integrated legislation for tobacco control, and Peru is one of the first 40 signing countries.

Palabras llave: Smoking; Tobacco Use Disorder; Smoking Cessation; Epidemiology; Public Health; Peru.