{"id":14706,"date":"2026-07-17T09:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T14:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=14706"},"modified":"2026-07-16T19:48:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T00:48:54","slug":"chiriqui-now-leads-panama-in-smoking-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/health\/chiriqui-now-leads-panama-in-smoking-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiriqu\u00ed Now Leads Panama in Smoking Rates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Public health officials in western Panama are raising red flags. A new survey from 2025 reveals that 7.2% of residents in Chiriqui Province<\/a> now use tobacco or nicotine products. That number might sound small. But it represents a troubling jump from the 6.4% recorded in 2013. The Panama Ministry of Health<\/a> is taking notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Juanita Castillo leads the regional Health Promotion<\/a> office. She didn’t mince words about the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘We need to strengthen prevention and awareness actions to fight this addiction and reduce its impact on public health’ [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Her call to action comes as data shows Chiriqui outperforming other regions in tobacco consumption rates. That’s not a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Border Proximity and Policy Gaps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Why is Chiriqui seeing this uptick? Health authorities point to a key factor. The province shares a porous border with Costa Rica. This geographical reality makes it harder to control the flow of cigarettes and nicotine products. It also complicates enforcement of existing regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castillo specifically asked regulatory and commercial institutions to step up their game. She wants stricter controls on how cigarettes and nicotine products reach consumers. The tobacco consumption prevalence Panama<\/a> data suggests that current measures aren’t working well enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers tell a clear story. Chiriqui now leads the country in smoking rates compared to other provinces and indigenous territories. That’s a dramatic shift. And it’s one that demands immediate attention from policymakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n