Risk assessment of active smoking: Smoking-attributabte mortality and years of potential life lost in Taiwan, 1980 and 1992

vocated by the government and other private organizations for decades in Taiwan, especially in the past ten years. We conducted an analysis to assess the ef-examining the changes in active smok- ing attributabk mortality (ASAM) and active smoking attributable years of potential life lost (AS AYPLL) between 1980 and 1992. This analysis also evaluated the present health impact due to active smoking. Total estimated ASAM was 12,765 for 1980 and 14,764 for 1992, representing 349% and 31.8% of all deaths from smoking-reJated causes for each y ear, respectively. Our results suggested a progress of anti-sniokfageflortscontrib- . iited by the governDiait and other privateanti-smoking orgarazations. By comparing the figures between 1980 and 1992, a reduction in all dimensions has been observed. The overall smoking prevalence rate decreased from 31.7% to 295% and the ASAM rate dedmed from 121.8/10⁵ to 91.55/10⁵. Additionally, the ASAYPLL rate declined from 513.4/10⁵ to 406,9/10⁵. Furthermore, the ratio of ASAM from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) to all ASAM decreased from 563%inl980to 46.7% in 1992, whfle the ratio of ASAM from caiicer to afl ASAM increased from 22.9% in 1980 to 34.9% in 1992, Our seemed to be a more important risk fac-other age group. Although the . anti-smoking programs seemed effective over the past 13 years, active smoking ' diictive years lost in 1991 More efforts should be devoted to further reduce the high smoking prevalence in men and particularly to hamper the increasing smoking trend in adolescents and young women. This remain a challenge for the government of Taiwan.