Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death, with an estimated 75,000 deaths¹ in France in 2015, and cancer is the leading cause of death attributable to tobacco use. Since 2016, Santé publique France has been publishing estimates of mortality attributable to smoking in France, which had not yet been broken down by region. Presented in our regional public health bulletins, the published data provide, for the first time, regional estimates of mortality attributable to smoking overall and for causes of death for which the role of smoking is established.

Mortality attributable to smoking: significant regional disparities

• While the proportion of deaths attributable to smoking is 13% at the national level, it ranges from 3.7% in Guadeloupe to 15.5% in Corsica, followed by Grand Est (14.7%) and Hauts-de-France (14.5%).

• Among women, the proportion of deaths attributable to smoking was 6.9% nationally (i.e., 19,800 attributable deaths) and ranged from 1.3% of deaths in Guadeloupe to 8.7% in Île-de-France.

• Among men, the proportion of these deaths was 19.3% nationwide (57,300 attributable deaths) and ranged from 5.9% in Guadeloupe to 23.2% in Hauts-de-France.

Cancer, the leading cause of smoking-related deaths

The most common causes of smoking-related deaths are cancers, with over 45,000 deaths, followed by cardiovascular diseases (over 17,000). Nationally, cancers thus account for 61.7% of smoking-related deaths. This rate varies across different regions.

However, cancer is more common among men whose deaths are attributable to smoking than among women; among women, the leading causes are cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases. These findings are observed in all regions.

Encouraging Smoking Cessation Amid the COVID-19 Health Crisis

The prevalence of smoking remains very high in France, and the current pandemic must not disrupt the historic downward trend in smoking in France, which saw a decrease of 1.9 million daily smokers between 2014 and 2019. To mark the launch of the 10-year cancer control strategy, Santé publique France, the Health Insurance Fund, and the Ministry of Solidarity and Health are launching a new campaign from February 5 to March 5, 2021, to promote Tabac info service and provide smokers with the tools to successfully quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through a multi-channel approach (web banners and social media engagement, special campaigns on the radio, in daily newspapers, and on social media, as well as in trade publications), the campaign explains that the current health crisis can still be an opportunity to quit smoking.

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