Panama is the country with the lowest percentage of tobacco smokers in the region, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report published this week.

According to the document, the five countries with the least tobacco users are Panama (2%), followed by Ecuador (4%) and Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador, tied with 5% of its adult smoking population.

In the 2020 report, Panama already led in the region with the same percentage of smokers among its adult population.

Comparative data from the new report reveal that Panama is the only one of the 5 leaders to have constant anti-smoking campaigns, disseminated in the media, including in times of pandemic between 2020 and 2022. The country is also part of the list of nations with the most regulations to protect their citizens. 90% of the population is covered by some law that protects them against this substance.

At the other extreme, the countries with the most smokers are Chile (18%), Argentina and Uruguay (17%) and the United States (14%).

Panama became the first country in the world to sanction the absolute prohibition of the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in 2008. This was achieved with the approval of Law 13 of 2008, which adopts measures for the control of tobacco and its consumption in enclosed places of public access.

Panamanian legislation led the country to a transformation in terms of tobacco to promote its eradication and consumption, educating citizens from an early age in the country’s schools.

According to the report, 71% of the world’s population is protected by at least one control policy for tobacco consumption. In 2008, only 5% of the population was covered by these regulations against tobacco consumption.