title: [Evolution of mortality attributable to tobacco in the Canary Islands (1975-1994)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is that of describing the death rate attributable to tobacco on the Canary Islands throughout the 1975-1994 period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deaths by age, sex and cause from 1975 to 1994 were obtained from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (Natural Movement of Population). Based on the Spanish and Canary Island Health Surveys, the percentages of those who had never smoked, smokers and ex-smokers for the Canary Island population were taken by age and sex. The relative risks of death were taken from the Cancer Prevention Study II carried out in the United States. The percentages of deaths attributable to smoking were calculated for each year, sex and age group based on the attributable fraction of the population. Likewise, the trend in the death rate attributable for the time period in question was calculated and given in the form of the annual mean percentage change in the age-adjusted death rates by way of a log-linear model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 1975-1994 period, the number of deaths attributed to smoking rose by 64%. For major causes, a 108% increase in neoplasias, a 32% drop in cardiovascular diseases and a 15.5% increase in respiratory diseases were found for the period under study. The number of deaths was also found to increase with age, the 65 and over age group having been found to be that in which the most deaths caused by smoking occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the Canary Islands, over 20% of all deaths in 1994 can be attributed to smoking. This suggests that the measures implemented to control the smoking habit are insufficient.
authors.affiliation: Dirección General de Salud Pública del Gobierno de Canarias. lbello@dgsp.scstf.rcanaria.es
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bello Luján
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lorenzo Ruano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gil Muñoz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saavedra Santana
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serra Majem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012907:Smoking / Q000401:mortality*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology