{"id":13671,"date":"2026-05-30T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=13671"},"modified":"2026-05-29T11:57:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:57:19","slug":"only-5-percent-of-panamanians-smoke-here-is-the-rest-of-the-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/health\/only-5-percent-of-panamanians-smoke-here-is-the-rest-of-the-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Only 5 Percent of Panamanians Smoke Here Is the Rest of the Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Panama City, Panama. A staggering 95 percent of Panama’s population does not use tobacco products. The Panama National Tobacco Survey<\/a> revealed this positive public health data on Tuesday. Health officials presented the findings at a press conference in the capital.<\/p>\n

The survey marks a significant drop in tobacco use over the past twelve years. Prevalence of tobacco consumption fell from 6.4 percent in 2013 to just 5 percent in 2025. That represents a reduction of nearly 22 percent. Researchers conducted the study among Panamanians aged 15 and older.<\/p>\n

\"cigarette\"
cigarette<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daily Smokers Decline But Occasional Use Rises<\/h2>\n

Panama now records roughly 146,000 smokers nationwide. The numbers show a clear shift in smoking patterns. Daily smokers have decreased noticeably. Occasional smokers, however, have increased.<\/p>\n

Reyna Roa from the National Commission for Tobacco Prevention and Control explained the trend. “The number of smokers has dropped, certainly it has. The important thing is we have managed to reduce the number of daily smokers. This indicates less addiction and an increase in occasional smokers,” she said. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n

Regional differences emerged in the data. Central Panama and indigenous comarcas reported higher tobacco consumption rates. Men continue to smoke more than women across all regions studied.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes people mistakenly think that vapes or products that are not traditional tobacco cause less damage. That is not true. They cause more damage and the damage is irreversible,” said Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"vapes\"
vapes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Health Officials Warn About Electronic Cigarettes<\/h2>\n

The Panama Ministry of Health<\/a> issued strong warnings about vaping devices. Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo emphasized the dangers of electronic cigarettes. He specifically targeted young users with his message.<\/p>\n

“Vapes cause harm and a lot of it,” Boyd Galindo stressed during the presentation. [Translated from Spanish] The minister called for greater public awareness about these devices. Many young Panamanians view vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. The data suggests otherwise.<\/p>\n

The Ministry<\/a> has linked tobacco use to multiple chronic diseases. Lung problems and heart conditions top the list. Officials also presented evidence connecting smoking to diabetes. These health risks remain significant despite the overall decline in smoking rates.<\/p>\n

Prevention Campaigns and Next Steps<\/h2>\n

Health authorities plan to strengthen awareness campaigns across the country. The Ministry of Health reiterated its commitment to prevention. Officials called for continued education about the dangers of both tobacco and vaping products.<\/p>\n

The survey results provide a baseline for future public health strategies. Panama has implemented strict anti-tobacco laws in recent years. These include graphic warning labels and smoking bans in public spaces. The data suggests these measures are working.<\/p>\n

But challenges remain. The rise in occasional smokers concerns health experts. And the popularity of vaping devices among young people presents a new front in the fight against nicotine addiction. The Ministry of Health plans targeted interventions for these groups.<\/p>\n

Panama’s tobacco control efforts align with global health recommendations. The country has ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Continued monitoring through surveys like this one will track progress in the years ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panama City, Panama. A staggering 95 percent of Panama’s population does not use tobacco products. The Panama National Tobacco Survey revealed this positive public health data on Tuesday. Health officials presented the findings at a press conference in the capital. The survey marks a significant drop in tobacco use over the past twelve years. Prevalence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[4559,4557,4556,4558],"class_list":["post-13671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-panama-smoking-rates","tag-panama-smoking-statistics","tag-panama-tobacco-survey-shows","tag-tobacco-prevention"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13673,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13671\/revisions\/13673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}