E-Cigarette Use Triples in Panama as Youth Vaping Surges
The Panamanian Ministry of Health (Minsa) has confirmed that e-cigarette use in Panama tripled between 2019 and 2025, driven heavily by young demographics. This rapid rise in vaping occurs despite a steady, twelve-year decline in traditional tobacco consumption across the country.
According to the Second Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), approximately 95% of Panama’s 4 million residents do not use traditional tobacco. Currently, only about 146,000 active smokers remain in the nation.
While traditional smoking rates fell to historic lows, vaping has experienced a massive surge. Authorities are particularly alarmed by the popularity of vapes among youth aged 15–19 and young adults aged 20–34.
| Product Type | Past Prevalence (Year) | Current Prevalence (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Tobacco | 6.4% (2013) | 5.0% |
| E-Cigarettes (Vapes) | 0.4% (2019) | 1.5% |
Tobacco-related illnesses still claim roughly 1,000 lives annually in Panama. Smoking remains a primary driver of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, and various cancers.
The survey was jointly conducted by Minsa, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the CDC Foundation. In response to the findings, Minsa pledged to strengthen prevention, education, and cessation programs to protect younger generations.
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