Tobacco Use and Trends
- In 2022, an estimated 217.6 thousand people (176.5 thousand males and 40.2 thousand females) aged 15 years and older were tobacco product users in Jamaica. This positions the country as the 131st globally and the 20th in the WHO Region of the Americas in terms of number of tobacco users.1,2
The latest available but outdated data from 2017 indicated that 15.6% of youths (15.9% boys and 15% girls) aged 13-15 years in Jamaica were current tobacco users. 11.2% of youths (11.1% boys and 10.9% girls) were current cigarette smokers.
In 2017, 2.6% of youths (2.8% boys and 2.5% girls) aged 13-15 years in Jamaica were current smokeless tobacco product users.
Nicotine Alternatives
- In 2017, 11.7% of youths (13.7% boys and 9.7% girls) aged 13-15 were current e-cigarette users in Jamaica.
Health and Economic Burden From Tobacco Use
In 2021, it was estimated that tobacco was the 7th highest risk factor driving the most death and disability combined in Jamaica.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 1.3 thousand deaths, which is about 11.4% of total deaths.
Of tobacco-related deaths, 1.1 thousand or 83.7% were due to smoking, and 228.7 or 18.2% were due to secondhand smoke.
In 2021, the top 10 causes of the most deaths in Jamaica included Stroke ranking 2nd, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) ranking 4th, Lung Cancer ranking 8th and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranking 10th.
Tobacco was responsible for an estimated 207.5 or 13.6% of all IHD deaths, 226.1 or 10.3% of all Stroke deaths, 250.6 or 77.7% of all Lung Cancer deaths, and 150.4 or 56.8% of all COPD deaths.
In 2021, tobacco use caused an estimated loss of 35.1 thousand disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which was about 10.2% of total DALYs. Tobacco accounts for 5.3 thousand DALYs for IHD, 5.6 thousand DALYs for Stroke, 6.2 thousand DALYs for Lung Cancer, and 3.4 thousand DALYs for COPD.
Regulatory Environment and Economics
Public Health Commitment
Jamaica ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005.
Jamaica adopted graphical health warnings (GHWs) on combustible cigarettes (CCs) in 2014, covering 60% of the front and 60% of the back of the packages.
Diverse Tobacco Market
- Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes with and without nicotine content are allowed in Jamaica. E-cigarettes are subject to same regulations imposed on cigarettes.
Taxation Policy
- In 2022, total tax rate on retail prices of a pack of cigarette was 38.8%.
Smoking and Advertising Bans3
- Complete smoking bans with moderate level of compliance, and weak advertising bans with unknown level of compliance were enforced in Jamaica in 2022.
Age Restrictions
- Tobacco products and e-cigarettes cannot be sold to individuals younger than 18 years of age.
Tobacco Production and Diversification
In 2022, Jamaica produced about 1.6 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, accounting for approximately 0.03% of the global production of 5.8 million tons. This positioned Jamaica as the 77th largest tobacco producer in the world.
When compared to 2010, when Jamaica produced about 1.8 thousand tons of unmanufactured tobacco, there was a 9.5% decrease by 2022.
In 2022, Jamaica utilized approximately 750 hectares of land for tobacco cultivation, reflecting a 19.4% decrease compared 2010. (FAOSTAT [accessed January 2024])