Fifty Percent of Russian Female and Male Smokers Favor Public Smoking Ban
Approximately a third of all Russians smoke according to a survey carried out by Romir Monitoring. The survey showed that while 31% of Russian women and men smoke, half of them would support a ban on smoking in public places.
Russia has the highest number of smokers per capita in the world. 42% of deaths are caused by smoking in the 35-69 male age group and 260,000 deaths are caused by smoking every year. The survey showed that 52% of Russian men smoke compared to only 15% of Russian women. The average Russian smoker is a male between the ages of 18 to 35 with a secondary education.
Not only do less Russian ladies smoke those that do smoke less than their male counterparts. Most male smokers smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day while close to half the women smokers smoke less than 10 cigarettes a day. More and more Russians are realizing the dangers of smoking, but most surveyed still smoke the same amount. 19%, mostly women, are smoking less, possibly to be more attractive Russian brides and for childbearing reasons.
Russia’s State Duma passed a law in 2004 that limited the smoking of tobacco, banning smoking at work, in public transportation, in sport facilities and government buildings and on flights shorter than three hours.
