Smoking in Cuba
In Cuba, smoking is allowed and regulated under several provisions. The sale and purchase of cigarettes are legal, including through vending machines and online platforms. Importing cigarettes for trade is also permitted. However, cigarette packaging must include health warnings to inform consumers of the risks associated with smoking. The minimum legal age to purchase cigarettes is 18 years. While smoking is legally restricted in certain public places to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, there is no comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising. The total taxation rate on cigarettes in Cuba is 10%. Regarding smoking prevalence and impact, as of 2024, approximately 1.6 million Cubans were current smokers, with an adult smoking prevalence of 17.2%. Among females, the current smoking prevalence was 9.6%, and among males, it was 25.2%. For reference, there were 2.3 million daily smokers recorded in 2017. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence was 24.6% overall, including 36.8% among males and 12.4% among females in the same year. Data also show that tobacco smoking contributes significantly to mortality in Cuba. In 2021, an estimated 15,300 deaths were attributable to smoking, including 11,000 male deaths and 4,200 female deaths. These smoking-related deaths accounted for 9.26% of all deaths, with 11.81% of all male deaths and 5.92% of all female deaths in the country. These figures highlight the public health burden posed by smoking in Cuba.
Read articles from Cuba
October 15, 2024 by thetimes.com
Don’t smoke it! The £4,000 cigar
To fix public finances, Sir Keir Starmer could follow George Washington's advice by seeking luxury items like Cuban cigars instead of money. The cigar industry faces challenges like limited supply due to hurricanes and Cuba's communist policies. Premium cigars like Cohiba have become expensive, with limited editions fetching high prices at auctions. Ageing affects flavor, and cigar maintenance is crucial for preserving value. Counterfeits are a concern, and branding influences prices. The growing Asian market and government regulations impact the cigar industry, leading to soaring prices in the secondary market and auctions. Cigars like Dunhill and Davidoff are highly valued, making them attractive investments despite health risks.
February 07, 2024 by cbc.ca
Cuba grapples with the uncertain future of a national symbol, the cigar
It's estimated that from seed to box, more than 200 pairs of hands touch each cigar that is made in Cuba. A valuable export, and a draw for many visitors to the island nation, the artisanal tobacco product is both a historic national industry, and a point of national pride."It is in my blood to grow tobacco," said Hector Luis Preto, who has a farm in the Pinar del Rio village of San Juan y Martinez. "Tobacco is part of my family, it is part of myself," Preto told Mendes, standing in a freshly tilled field ready for shade grown tobacco, the delicate leaf used to wrap the outside of a cigar.
March 13, 2023 by filtermag.org
Tobacco Fairs, Free NRT and Few Vapes: A Conversation in Cuba
Winning a prize for my laughable “dancing” skills at a bar in Havana was a major surprise. But it should have surprised me less that the gift bag I was awarded contained a box of cigarettes.
Tobacco is firmly entrenched in Cuban culture. The country is famous, of course, for its cigars, and its tobacco crop is one of its largest sources of income from foreign trade. Cuba’s smoking rate, as of 2015, was 37 percent. Although it’s gradually falling, it’s about three times higher than in the United States. Almost 20,000 Cubans die of smoking-related causes each year.