Adult smokers in Colombia: who isn't giving it up?

Without ongoing surveillance systems to assess tobacco product demand and exposure levels, many low and middle income countries monitor smoking via periodic cross-sectional surveys. In this article, we seek to update estimates for the prevalence of adult smoking in Colombia and contribute additional information useful for tobacco control initiatives. Data are from the 2003 Colombian National Study of Mental Health (NSMH). A national probability sample of 4426 adults (age 18-65) was assessed via a computer-assisted interview. An estimated 49% of the adult population had smoked at least once in their lifetimes; one in three adults (31%) had smoked regularly. Nearly half of regular smokers had been able to quit (44%; 95% CI=40-48). Several personal and smoking-related characteristics were associated with failing to quit: being a younger age, employed as compared to being a homemaker, and a history of daily use. Quitters and non-quitters were equivalent with respect to sex, educational status, and age of smoking onset. In conclusion, our findings describe the characteristics of regular smokers in Colombia and identify subgroups of non-quitters that may help guide tobacco control activities.