MORTALITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO TOBACCO USE IN QUEBEC

In industrialized countries, tobacco smoking is the main cause of prev entable morbidity and premature deaths. Although mortality attributabl e to smoking has already been estimated for the population of the prov ince of Quebec, it has never been studied on a regional basis. We calc ulated the mortality attributable to smoking by socio-sanitary regions of the province of Quebec for 10 fatal diseases positively associated with smoking. The calculations were made for the years 1984 through 1 993 caking into account Canadian Census data (demographic variables), the Sante-Quebec survey (prevalence of smoking), the death registry of the ''Bureau de la statistique du Quebec'' (mortality data), and the American cohort of the ''Cancer Prevention Study II'' (relative risks) . For the diseases investigated, 24,637 and 62,711 deaths were attribu table to smoking for women and men respectively-during the period stud ied, thus representing 29.4% and 51.2% of attributable percentages. Th ere is no statistical difference between the regions, which indicates a general problem for all the province. These data again confirm the i ncredible impact of smoking on public health. The struggle against smo king should be a primary area For action for the benefit of all Quebec ers.