Patterns of smoking in Bulgaria

Background-Although the rate of smoking-related deaths in Bulgaria is still relatively low, in international terms, it has been rising rapidly. This i s likely to become worse in the future as Bulgaria faces growing pressure f rom transnational tobacco companies. There is, however, little information on patterns of smoking, which is necessary for development of effective pol icies to tackle tobacco consumption. Objective-To describe the pattern of smoking in Bulgaria and its relationsh ip with sociodemographic factors. Design-Multivariate analysis of data on patterns of tobacco consumption fro m a multi-stage nationwide survey of 1550 adults. Setting-Bulgaria, in 1997. Main outcome measure-Prevalence of current cigarette smoking. Results-38.4% of men and 16.7% of women smoke. Smoking rates are strongly a ssociated with age, with 58% of men and 30% of women aged 30-39 smoking whe reas only 5% of men aged 70 years and older and almost no women of this age smoke. Smoking is more common in cities, among those who are widowed or di vorced, or who do not own their home. There is no clear association with ho usehold income or, for men, with education, although there is a suggestion that smoking may be more common among more highly educated women. Conclusions-The observed pattern of smoking indicates the need for a robust policy to tackle smoking in Bulgaria, especially among the young in large cities, informed by a better understanding of why smoking rates vary among different groups.