Tobacco, the main cause of preventable death: 22% of deaths in Peru are linked to its consumption

Tobacco remains a primary threat to public health in Peru, contributing to an estimated 22% of all recorded deaths in the country. The Ministry of Health reports that tobacco use is linked to 22,350 fatalities and over 126,000 illness episodes annually. Smoking also accounts for 19% of deaths from heart conditions.

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It is taken as a pleasant sensation that generates the addiction we know... This consumption of tobacco causes damage that is seen over time. That is why patients consume for 5 or 10 years believing that it will have no consequence.

Globally, the impact is immense, with smoking causing around 8 million deaths each year, including 1.6 million deaths among non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. In the Americas alone, about one million deaths are associated with tobacco consumption annually.

Dr. José Luis Cabrera Rivero, a pulmonologist and president of the Peruvian Society of Pneumology, explains that the addictive nature of smoking stems from the rapid release of dopamine within seconds of inhalation, creating a sensation of pleasure. He notes that many users underestimate the long-term consequences, believing the damage will not manifest for years.

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They take it as a figure that appears to give style and fashion, but it does nothing more than normalize its consumption.

Both Cabrera and pulmonologist Dennis Italo Valer Ugarte lament the social normalization of smoking, which is often perceived as a stylish habit rather than a dangerous one. Ugarte specifically points to a lack of adequate oversight in cigarette sales to adolescents, whose developing bodies are particularly vulnerable to nicotine's effects, potentially leading to anxiety, depression, and withdrawal symptoms.

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Nicotine affects everyone's reality, especially young people. Children and adolescents are developing, which is affected by cigarette consumption and the subsequent release of dopamine... it has a psychological impact that can cause them anxiety, depression, or withdrawal syndrome.