title: Smoking prevalence and smoking attributable mortality in Italy, 2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide updated information on smoking prevalence and attributable mortality in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative survey on smoking was conducted in 2010 on a sample of 3020 Italian adults (1453 men and 1567 women). We used SAMMEC software to update smoking attributable mortality in Italy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2010, 21.7% of Italians (23.9% of men and 19.7% of women) described themselves as current smokers. Smoking prevalence was higher in men than in women in all age groups, except for the middle-aged population (45-64 years; 25.6% in men and 25.9% in women). Age-standardized smoking prevalence was higher in men than in women among less educated subjects and in southern Italy. No substantial difference was observed either in educated subjects or in northern and central Italy. Overall, 71,445 deaths in Italy (52,707 men and 18,738 women, 12.5% of total mortality) are attributable to smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall smoking prevalence of 21.7% in 2010 is the lowest registered over the last 50 years. Since 1998, smoking related deaths declined by almost 15%. Given that Italy has now reached the final stage of the tobacco epidemic, anti-smoking strategies should focus on support for smoking cessation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy. silvano.gallus@marionegri.it
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallus
authors.forename: Raya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muttarak
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martínez-Sánchez
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zuccaro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D015995:Prevalence; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult