Given how many people smoke in Russia, smoking can, without a doubt, be called one of the main ills of Russian society. In recent years, the country's government has been conducting a systematic and systematic anti-tobacco campaign, not sparing money and information resources on it.
The number of smokers is steadily declining, but not as fast as we would like, because tobacco companies lobbying for their own interests are opposing state interests. In the annual statistical reports you can find out how many people smoke in Russia. The numbers are still depressing.
How many smokers in the world?
Nicotine is a drug that quickly forms a very strong addiction in a person. But it belongs to light narcotic substances, because it has a barely noticeable psychoactive effect, does not change a person’s consciousness and does not push him to antisocial behavior, like alcohol or hard drugs. This seeming harmlessness coupled with quick addiction allows tobacco to win more and more fans.
Before assessing how many people smoke in Russia, it is better to get acquainted with world statistics. Today in the world there are about 1.3 billion smokers. About one in six earthlings is captive to addiction. More than 5 million people die every year from diseases caused by smoking, that is, one every 6 seconds.
How many people smoke in Russia: statistics
Even taking into account the decrease in the number of smokers, the Russian Federation occupies high places in the ratings of the most smoking countries. However, positive trends allow us to hope that in the future Russia will only fall in such ratings. Statistics clearly show how many percent of people smoke in Russia and how this percentage changes over the years.
If in 2009, 39% of Russians were consumers of tobacco products, then in 2017 they became 29%. For 8 years, a 10% reduction in the percentage of smokers is an excellent result. However, the victory over addiction in the country is very far away. 45% of Russian men and 15% of women continue to smoke. Tobacco annually takes about half a million lives of Russians. The percentage of teenagers smoking is frighteningly high. They easily succumb to the temptation, the influence of friends, rebellious moods and the desire to seem older and cooler. According to some reports, 33% of Russian teenagers smoke periodically.
Scary facts
Manufacturers of tobacco products create an attractive image for smoking, usually silent about the harm that it causes to the human body. Tobacco propaganda exploits people's poor awareness. Beginning smokers, as a rule, are careless and confident that they will quit at any time, they willingly start smoking and quickly become addicted.
How many smokers in Russia, so many addicted people who find it very easy to sell cigarettes even at high prices. After all, often they themselves defend their own irresistible cravings and find compelling reasons not to give up a bad habit. And information about the mortal danger of smoking is readily available and well known. Here are just a few of them:
- Together with tobacco smoke, a person inhales about three thousand chemicals, many of which contribute to the development of a variety of cancerous tumors. But cancer is just one of many diseases caused by systematic smoking.
- On average, a smoker lasts 200 times a day, 6,000 a month, 72,000 a year, and a smoker with 30 years of experience has poisonous smoke from more than 2,000,000 puffs in his lungs.
- 60% of Russian consumers of tobacco products want to get rid of their dependence, but often complain that they lack willpower. Many people give up, just falling ill with a dangerous disease, the prospect of an imminent death is stronger than the craving for nicotine. Almost all who won tobacco addiction say that it was much easier to do than it seemed.
- Given how many people smoke in Russia now, experts estimate that smoking can kill up to 5 million Russians in the next decade.
Pleasing trends
The decrease in the number of Russian smokers was the result of a well-thought-out and large-scale anti-tobacco state program, which began in 2013 and includes a number of comprehensive measures:
- Tobacco products are sold only in stores and only to people over 18 years of age. Moreover, cigarettes should not be in front of the buyer. For non-compliance with these rules, sellers are punished with impressive fines.
- Any tobacco advertising in the media, even disguised as a sponsorship or discount, is prohibited. Smoking scenes are cut out from the movies.
- Following the increase in excise taxes on tobacco, cigarette sales prices skyrocketed. They have become less accessible, this is especially important in the fight against teenage smoking.
- It is forbidden to smoke in various public places: in shops, cafes, restaurants, playgrounds, beaches, porches, elevators, etc.
- Frightening inscriptions and pictures of diseases, which are the result of addiction, are applied to tobacco products.
- A large-scale popularization of a healthy and active lifestyle.
Cigarette Sales
Statistics on the annual sale of cigarettes in the country is the most obvious way to assess the achievements of the anti-tobacco campaign and how many people smoke in Russia now compared to the recent past. The numbers are encouraging: in 2010, 383 billion cigarettes were sold in Russia per year, in 2013 - 371 billion, in 2017 - 263 billion. It is expected that by 2021 the sale of cigarettes will drop to the level of 227 billion pieces.
Resistance from manufacturers
Tobacco concerns are not going to give up, because this business operates with trillion turnover and billions of dollars in revenue. Although due to higher prices for cigarettes in Russia, companies' profits even increased, but every person who quits smoking becomes a lost profit for them. Therefore, they continue to cultivate such myths and interpretations that are convenient for them:
- The tobacco industry fills the budget and creates thousands of jobs, which means that it is good for the state.
- Anti-tobacco measures are ineffective and a waste of budget money.
- Bans violate the rights of smokers.
- Harm from second-hand smoke is an unproven fabrication.
- High excise taxes will cause smuggling that will sweep the country.
- Tobacco companies are actively involved in the fight against teenage smoking.
- Quitting smoking is very, very difficult, in addition, quitting nicotine will cause obesity and depression.