Country
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has made progress on tobacco control in recent years. However, people continue to die and become sick needlessly, and the costs to society from tobacco use continue to mount. Trinidad and Tobago can still do more to make the proven tobacco control tools work for its citizens’ wellbeing.
Issues
Tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of Trinidad and Tobago. Every year, more than 990 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused disease. Still, more than 680 children (10-14 years old) and 145720 adults (15+ years old) continue to use tobacco each day. Complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic insulates the tobacco industry in Trinidad and Tobago and ensures that tobacco's death toll will grow every year. Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities and resources to strengthen their efforts and create change.
Smoking Deaths
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
using tobacco daily: 2015
22.3%
Even though fewer men smoke on average in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, there are still more than 117600 men who smoke cigarettes each day, making it an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Children Smoking(10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
0.98%
Even though fewer boys smoke in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, there are still more than 400 boys who smoke cigarettes each day, making it an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
12.46%
Even though fewer men die from tobacco in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, tobacco still kills 15 men every week, necessitating action from policymakers.
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
5.1%
More women smoke in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries.
Children Smoking (10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
0.54%
Even though fewer girls smoke in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, there are still more than 200 girls who smoke cigarettes each day, making it sign of an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
4.53%
Even though fewer women die from tobacco in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, tobacco still kills 4 women every week, necessitating action from policymakers.
Smokeless Tobacco
% using tobacco daily: 2013
0.4%
Even though fewer people use smokeless tobacco on average in Trinidad and Tobago than on average in high-HDI countries, 4200 people still currently use smokeless tobacco, indicating an ongoing public health challenge, including heightened levels of oral cancers.
Societal Harms
The economic cost of smoking in Trinidad and Tobago amounts to 1858 million dollar. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity due to early mortality and morbidity.
Tobacco Use Also...
Harms Development
Buying tobacco robs families of the resources they may need to rise out of poverty. A smoker in Trinidad and Tobago would have to spend 4.98% of their average income (measured by per capita GDP) to purchase 10 of the most popular cigarettes to smoke daily each year!
Harms Development
Harms Environment
Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded pieces of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 347 tonnes of butts and packs wind up as toxic trash in Trinidad and Tobago each year. This is roughly equivalent to the weight of 69 endangered African elephants.
Harms Environment
Harms Equality
To appeal to more customers, the tobacco industry markets its products aggressively to women and children.
Harms Equality
Harms NCDs
People living with mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke as other individuals.
Harms NCDs
Industry
The combined revenues of the world's 6 largest tobacco companies in 2016 was more than USD 346 Billion, 1534% larger than the Gross National Income of Trinidad and Tobago. The industry is a powerful force that does not fear the actions of nation-states because of their extensive resources and global market power.
Growing
There were less than 1000 metric tons of tobacco produced in Trinidad and Tobago in 2014. Tobacco growing is only a small fraction of agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago, with only 0.24% of agricultural land devoted to tobacco cultivation.
Production
n/a
Solutions
Current Policy in Trinidad and Tobago
Protect from Smoke
All public places completely smoke-free is the best practice
Smokefree
n/a
HealthCare Facilities
n/a
Educational Facilities
n/a
Universities
n/a
Government Facilities
n/a
Indoor Offices
n/a
Restaurants
n/a
Pubs and Bars
n/a
Public Transport
n/a
All Other Indoor Public Places
n/a
Funds for Smokefree Enforcement
Offer Help
National quit line and both NRT and cessation-services cost-covered is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to Tobacco Users on Product Packaging
A plain, standardized pack with a large health warning is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to the Whole Population in a Media Campaign
Enforce Bans on Advertising
Ban on all forms of direct and indirect advertising is the best practice
Number of Direct Ad Bans
3/7
possible bans
Number of Indirect Ad Bans
2/10
possible bans
Ad Ban Compliance Percent
High
Direct Bans
- National TV and radio
- International TV and radio
- Local magazines and newspapers
- International magazines and newspapers
- Billboard and outdoor advertising
- Advertising at point of sale
- Advertising on internet
Indirect Bans
- Free distribution in mail or through other means
- Promotional discounts
- Non-tobacco products identified with tobacco brand names
- Brand name of non-tobacco products used for tobacco product
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco brands (product placement)
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco products
- Prescribed anti-tobacco ads required for any visual entertainment media product that depicts tobacco products, use or images
- Complete ban on sponsorship
- Any form of contribution (financial or other support) to any event, activity or individual
- Ban on the publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry of events, activities, individuals
Raise Taxes
Excise Tax as a % of Cigarette Price
WHO Benchmark
Minimum 70%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
Trinidad and Tobago
14.6%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
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