Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 966.2 thousand people (551.8 thousand males and 415.0 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This positions the country as the 85th globally and the 30th in the WHO European Region in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
In 2018-19, 24.4% of youths (27.7% boys and 21.1% girls) aged 13-15 years were current tobacco users.
In 2018-19, 1.7% of youths (2.2% boys and 1.3% girls) aged 13-15 years were current smokeless tobacco product users
Nicotine Alternatives
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 2nd highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 6.7 thousand deaths, which is about 26.5% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 5.8 thousand or 87.0% were due to smoking, and 1.2 thousand or 17.3% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Bosnia and Herzegovina included Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 2nd, Stroke ranking 3rd, Lung Cancer ranking 4th, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 8th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 1.9 thousand or 23.5% of all IHD deaths, 1.0 thousand or 16.6% of all Stroke deaths, 1.7 thousand or 89.7% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 569.1 or 69.7% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 179.3 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 28.9% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 41.4 thousand DALYs for IHD, 23.5 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 42.4 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 13.8 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2009.
Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted Tobacco Act (TA) in 2022, based on EU Tobacco Directive Act (TDA), which became effective in May 2023. TA regulates all tobacco products, nicotine containing e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Diverse Tobacco Market
Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) are available and regulated as other smoking tobacco products, subject to the same regulations as CCs.
Product restrictions for e-cigarettes include a maximum nicotine concentration to 20mg/ml, the tank capacity not exceeding 2ml, and refill containers limited to a maximum 10ml.
Text health warnings are required on HTPs and e-cigarettes covering 35% of two sides of packages.
Taxation Policy
In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 84.0%.
HTPs are subject to a specific excise tax of BAM134/kg, while no excise tax is imposed on e-cigs as of 2023.
A differential excise tax policy is applied between CCs and HTPs. The excise value for HTPs is BAM 0.82/pack with its share (14.34%) of the retail price BAM 5.70/pack in 2023. The excise value for CCs is BAM 4.17/pack with its share (69.5%) of the retail price BAM 6.00/pack.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Weak smoking bans with unknown level of compliance, and weak advertising bans with moderate level of compliance were enforced in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022.
- With the TA coming into force in 2023, advertising of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and HTPs is prohibited. Smoking bans are now enforced in all closed public places, workplaces, in public transport and private transport with minor presence. Notably vaping in public places is currently not regulated.
Age Restrictions
- There is no available information on the age restrictions of tobacco use and e-cigarette use.
Illicit Cigarette Trade
- Estimated figures indicate that illicit cigarette trade in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained below 10% from 2008 with 7.8% to 2010 with 9.8%, then consistently increasing at a higher rate throughout the years, reaching 46.3% in 2022. (Euromonitor [accessed November 2023])
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina produced about 310 tons of unmanufactured tobacco. This positioned Bosnia and Herzegovina as the 97th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Bosnia and Herzegovina produced about 1.9 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was an 83.3% decrease by 2022.
In 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina utilized approximately 172 hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting an 88.2% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])