Is tobacco use finally decreasing in France?

Tobacco is responsible for a third of all cancers, as well as a large proportion of cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases. Monitoring of the tobacco epidemic is necessary everywhere, in particular in non-English-speaking countries where until recently no decrease was seen in tobacco consumption. National population surveys have been conducted repeatedly on representative samples of both the adolescent and adult French population to evaluate trends in smoking behavior. A decrease can be noted in the population of adolescent smokers of both sexes-from 46% in 1977 to 30% in 1991. Among adults the overall figure is rather stable due to contrasting trends, with a general decrease among men (although not among young men aged 18 to 24) counterbalanced by an increase among women. Future health education efforts should focus on women of all ages but should not neglect young men, although the decrease observed among girls and boys is promising.

[Smoking and social class in France 1974-1991]. / Tabagisme et classe sociale en France de 1974 à 1991.

We examined trends in cigarette smoking behaviour in France from 1974 to 1991 separately for men and women as well as according to social class indicators. Overall, cigarette smoking prevalence has declined among men but has increased among women over the 18-year period which was taken into consideration. Analysis by social class groupings shows, among men, that the decrease is greater among higher level executives, professionals and academics and occurred as early as 1983. Among women, there is only a slight and recent downward trend limited to those of higher socio-economic status. These findings are similar to those of other southern European countries, such as Italy or Spain, but are not as yet comparable to what has been observed over the last twenty years in northern Europe, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

EUROHEALTH Programme.

The countries of central and eastern Europe (CCEE) and the newly independent states (NIS) of the former USSR are undergoing rapid and profound change, and assistance from the international community has lacked a common focus. In late 1990, the WHO Regional Committee for Europe created the EUROHEALTH programme to try to meet the urgent and medium-term needs of the CCEE/NIS for technical, managerial and material resources within the framework of the long-term regional strategy for health for all. The programme's strategy includes making collaborative agreements with each of the CCEE/NIS, raising funds and coordinating tripartite assistance with a wide variety of international organizations. The Regional Office for Europe has changed to support the EUROHEALTH programme by establishing a Country Health Development department, and an information clearing-house to track assistance to the NIS so it can be provided more efficiently. The programme's work has created a flow of information and better coordination of cooperation between all the organizations working in the health sector in the CCEE/NIS. The most important EUROHEALTH activities in 1992-1993 have focused on: relieving shortages of vaccines and medical equipment, developing health policy and developing programmes on such issues as health service reform, human resources, noncommunicable diseases, maternal and child health, AIDS and environment and health. The EUROHEALTH programme is a pragmatic and highly appropriate approach to the CCEE/NIS; its main need is for more funding to enable it to meet countries' needs more precisely and to cooperate more effectively with other organizations.

[Current development of smoking in young people in France]. / Evolution récente du tabagisme des jeunes en France.

Two sets of data, collected independently, have been analysed to study the recent evolution of tobacco smoking in France among young people. For the first time a trend towards a reduction of this habit has been observed.