Tobacco Consumption
- 8.9 percent of adults (age 15+) in Cameroon use tobacco products.1
- Rates are higher among men than among women: 13.9 percent of men and 4.3 percent of women use any tobacco products.1
- 6 percent of adults (age 15+) smoke tobacco and 3 percent use smokeless tobacco.1
- Among youth (ages 13-15), 10.1 percent use tobacco products (boys 13.8 percent; girls 5.7 percent), 5.7 percent smoke cigarettes (boys 8.3 percent; girls 2.5 percent), and 3.7 percent use smokeless tobacco (boys 5 percent, girls 2.3 percent).2
Secondhand Smoke Exposure
- 19.2 percent of adults (age 15+) who work indoors (0.4 million) are exposed to secondhand smoke at the workplace; 31.9 percent are exposed in restaurants (1 million); and 22.9 percent are exposed in public transportation (1.6 million).1
- Among youth (ages 13-15), 42.1 percent are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and 28.5 percent are exposed at home. 2
- Among youth (ages 13-15), 42.1 percent are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and 28.5 percent are exposed at home.2
Health Consequences
- Every year nearly 8,300 Cameroonians are killed by smoking-caused diseases.3
- Even though fewer men and women die on average in Cameroon than in other middle-income countries, still 112 men and 47 women are killed every week by smoking.3
Tobacco Industry
Imperial Brands Plc dominates the Cameroon cigarette market with 55.2 percent of market share by volume. BAT commands 16.8 percent, European Tobacco has 9.9 percent, and Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) are present on the margins. Over 2.3 billion cigarettes were sold in Cameroon in 2016.4
FCTC Status
Cameroon ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 3, 2006. The treaty went into effect on May 4, 2006.
Tobacco Control Policy Status
For information regarding smoke-free places, advertising and promotion, and packaging and labeling visit the Tobacco Control Laws website.
1 Global Adults Tobacco Survey, 2013.
2 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 2014; National
3 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013. Seattle, WA: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington; 2015.
4 Euromonitor International, 2017
Last updated Aug. 31, 2017