Tobacco smoking in Chad

In Chad, smoking is allowed, but tobacco products including cigarettes should follow specific legal control measures. Based on these regulations, a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, including cigarettes, exists. Health warnings on their packaging are required, and smoking is restricted in public places. There is also a minimum age restriction on sales of 18 years. For cigarettes, an excise value of 20% with a total taxation rate of 54.87% should be paid. However, retail sale is allowed, and products can legally be purchased online as well as through vending machines. Importing tobacco products for trade is also allowed with a license.

The prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older in Chad shows notable trends. As of 2024, the estimated current prevalence of tobacco smoking among males was reported to be 12.2%, while among females, it was only 1.6%. The overall adult current smoking prevalence was reported to be 6.8% in the same year. This translates to an absolute number of 731,000 individuals. In comparison, in 2020, the prevalence among males was 11.1% and among females was 1.4%, with an overall prevalence of 6.2%. These data indicate a slight increase in smoking rates among males over the two-year period. The absolute number of smokers in 2022 was estimated to be approximately 611,604, an increase from the 520,330 smokers reported in 2020. This reflects a growing trend in tobacco smoking in the country. For reference, the adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2017 was 7.5%, with a prevalence of 13.2% among males and 2.1% among females.

Smoking-related mortality data from 2021 show that 2.48% of all male deaths and 0.95% of all female deaths in Chad were attributed to tobacco smoking, with the total smoking-related deaths of 3,296 individuals. These statistics underscore the significant public health challenge posed by tobacco smoking in Chad, necessitating continued monitoring and interventions to address this issue.