On average, Ukrainians start smoking at the age of 19.8, with 85% of them trying cigarettes for the first time. This was announced at a press conference on the results of the all-Ukrainian survey "What Ukrainians think about initiatives in the field of combating smoking", which was conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center on April 2-20 commissioned by the public organization "European Choice of Ukraine", reports the correspondent of UNN.
Details
According to statistics, nicotine consumers chose the following for their first smoking experience:
- 85% - cigarettes;
- 4.6% - hookah, hand-rolled cigarettes, cigars/cigarillos;
- 2% - electronic cigarettes;
- less than 1% - tobacco products for electric heating (hereinafter - TPEH).
At the same time, 76% of respondents and 82% of nicotine consumers are convinced that the prohibition of certain tobacco and nicotine products will not be effective, and consumers will simply look for prohibited products in other countries or on the illegal market.
According to 86% of respondents, the government should focus more efforts on educational programs for young people, as they are more effective in reducing the use of cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products.
74.5% of respondents agree that instead of banning alternatives that could potentially reduce health risks, the government should focus on educating current smokers about the benefits of quitting and encouraging switching to alternatives for those who intend to continue smoking.
According to respondents, the most effective measures to reduce the level of smoking in Ukraine are:
- raising awareness about the dangers of smoking in schools (39.9%);
- combating the sale of cigarettes and nicotine products to minors and on the illegal market (26.7%);
- strengthening penalties for retailers who sell goods to persons under the age of 18 (23.1%);
- raising awareness of parents/guardians (19%) and introducing fines for couriers who deliver goods to persons under the age of 18 (16.1%)
The least effective measure is to increase warning labels on cigarettes and nicotine products - it was supported by only 8.1% of respondents.
74.4% of respondents believe that Ukraine has a problem with illegal tobacco and nicotine-containing products.
At the same time, 76.2% of respondents noted that illegal trade in tobacco and nicotine products can have serious negative consequences for the economic situation in Ukraine, and 80.5% - for the health of Ukrainians.
The public perceives the shadow circulation of nicotine-containing products as a serious economic, social and medical problem. This signal to regulators should be considered as an argument in favor of a comprehensive approach: strengthening control, effective interagency cooperation and informing the public about the risks associated with the consumption of illegal products
Addition
The face-to-face survey was conducted in all regions of Ukraine among 1,507 respondents aged 18 and over in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine, using a stratified multi-stage sample with random selection at the first stages of sample formation and a quota method of respondent selection at the final stage.
The structure of the sample population reflects the demographic structure of the adult population of the territories where the survey was conducted as of the beginning of 2022.
Let us remind you
The prevalence of cigarette smoking among Ukrainian adolescents has remained stable over the past seven years - harmful 12% of schoolchildren have this habit. At the same time, almost every fifth (19.6%) uses electronic cigarettes.