Smoking in Russia is definitely a thing. You can see people smoking on the streets all the time. If you look at the facts, that's hardly a surprise: according to smokefreeworld, nearly a third of Russia's adults smoke, making it one of the largest adult smoking populations in Europe.
TOBACCO USE AND TRENDS
In 2019, 29.7% or 34.9 million Russian adults aged fifteen and above smoked cigarettes (49% or 26 million men, and 14% or 9 million women). Tobacco use was reported to be higher among men than women. The overall number of smokers has reduced over the past two decades.
More than 80% of all smokers now live in countries with low or middle incomes, and 60% in just 10 countries, a list headed by China. China is the world's most populated country, and is also the leading country in the cigarette industry.
American Indian/Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) Adults
American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have a higher prevalence of current smoking than most other racial/ethnic groups in the United States.
The reasons for the high smoking rates among Aboriginal people are complex. They include: being exposed to smoking early in life and living in a community where smoking is 'the social norm' social disadvantage such as living in poverty, leaving school early and unemployment.
Tobacco Use
In 2020, cigarette smoking was highest among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native adults and lowest among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian adults: Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native adults: 27.1% Non-Hispanic Adults from other Racial Groups: 19.5% Non-Hispanic White Adults: 13.3%
In some countries very few people smoke: in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria less than 5% do. There are several factors which influence the prevalence of smoking. One is prosperity: if we look at the relationship between smoking prevalence and income we find that richer countries tend to smoke more.
Smoking Rates by Industry/Occupation
Figure 1 reveals that accommodation and food service industry has the highest rate of smokers (30.3%), followed by construction (28.9%), transportation (26.1%), and water and waste management (25.90%) occupations.
Smoking in Japan is practiced by around 20,000,000 people, and the nation is one of the world's largest tobacco markets, though tobacco use has been declining in recent years.
TOBACCO USE AND TRENDS
There are 17.5 million smokers in Germany. Rates of tobacco smoking in Germany are significantly higher compared to other European nations. It is reported that more than one in four Germans over the age of 14 are current smokers.
More than 40% of Ukrainian men use tobacco and approximately 130,000 Ukrainians die from tobacco-related diseases each year.
Federal law bans smoking in all Australian Commonwealth government buildings, public transport, airports, and international and domestic flights.
More people are smoking in poorer communities. It is easy to blame people in poverty for making bad choices. But it's more complicated than that. Tobacco companies target these communities to encourage the habit, and the stresses of living in poverty and sometimes hopelessness also cause people to turn to cigarettes.
China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. There are more than 300 million smokers in China, nearly one-third of the world's total. More than half of adult men are current tobacco smokers. About one in every three cigarettes smoked in the world is smoked in China.
Higher smoking rates
Tobacco use is widespread among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples although smoking rates vary between regions and communities. Overall, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are almost 3 times more likely to smoke compared to non-Indigenous Australians.
In 2016 and 2019, 40–59-year-olds were significantly more likely to smoke than 18–24-year-olds (controlling for gender). Smoking patterns among the Australian population aged 40 and over are discussed further in Section 1.5 (see Table 1.5. 1 and Figure 1.5.
In all states and territories, it's illegal to smoke in enclosed public places including: public transport such as trains, planes and buses. office buildings. shopping malls.
Mauritania has the world's highest rate of tobacco consumption — an average of 41 cigarettes a day.
New Zealand's path to ending tobacco use
Now, the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan, unveiled in December 2021, and pending legislation could make New Zealand the first country in the world to become smoke-free.
Asian Americans have the lowest cigarette smoking rates compared with other racial and ethnic groups.