Introduction:

smoking is a worldwide health problem and a major cause of disability and death. Nicotine is the main psychoactive ingredient in tobacco and causes dependence. Cigarette smoking is related to the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms; the risk increases with early onset, amount and frequency of exposure and with the coexistence of other toxic habits.

Objective:

to characterize nicotine dependence in smokers in the Cerro Municipality.

Methods:

a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out, in which the Fagerström test was applied to 30 cigarette consumers in the Cerro Municipality.

Results:

the study was dominated by male smokers over 50 years of age and the coexistence of other toxic habits and chronic diseases. An early onset of the habit was observed, consumption of more than 20 cigarettes a day predominated and the duration of consumption was between 20 and 40 years, for a majority degree of medium-high dependence.

Conclusions:

the pattern of consumption found, the association with other toxic habits and chronic diseases and the predominance of medium-high dependence predispose these smokers to a decrease in life expectancy and to face greater difficulties to quit smoking in case of being submitted to some strategy of smoking cessation.

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