Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 166.1 thousand people (135.6 thousand males and 31.2 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Panama. This positions the country as the 137th globally and the 21st in the WHO Region of the Americas in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
In 2019, 0.7% of adults (1.2% males and 0.3% females) aged 15 years and over were current users of smokeless tobacco products in Panama.
In 2018, 7.6% of youths (9.1% boys and 6.2% girls) aged 13 to 15 years were current tobacco users. In the same year, 6.3% of youths (7.1% boys and 5.5% girls) were current cigarette smokers.
In 2017, 2.3% (2.2% boys and 2.4% girls) aged 13-15 years were smokeless tobacco users.
Nicotine Alternatives
In 2019, 0.4% of adults in Panama (0.8% males and 0.1% females) aged 15 years and over were reported as current users of e-cigarettes.
In 2017, 6.4% of youths (7.1% boys and 5.2% girls) were current users of e-cigarettes.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 9th highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Panama.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 990.6 deaths, which is about 9.4% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 844.2 or 85.2% were due to smoking, and 160.9 or 16.2% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Panama included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 2nd, Stroke ranking 3rd, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 7th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 244 or 11.0% of all IHD deaths, 130.5 or 8.4% of all Stroke deaths, 142.2 or 72.1% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 157.4 or 55.3% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 27.8 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 7.5% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 6.0 thousand DALYs for IHD, 3.3 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 3.1 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 3.1 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
Panama ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004, and WHO Illicit Trade Protocol in 2016.
Panama adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2006, covering 50% of the front and 50% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes with and without nicotine content are banned in Panama.
Taxation Policy
- In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 56.5%.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Complete smoking bans with complete level of compliance, and complete advertising bans with complete level of compliance were enforced in Panama in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Panama produced about 2.7 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco. This positioned Panama as the 62nd largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Panama produced about 2.6 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 4.8% increase by 2022.
In 2022, Panama utilized approximately 1.5 thousand hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 4.9% increase compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])