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maryxmasICPS Newsletter bulletin
# 325, 19 June 2006
Jun 19, 2006
The results of the survey called "Tobacco in Ukraine: the national poll on tobacco-related knowledge, attitude and behavior" are not comforting. This survey registered one of the highest smoking prevalence among males across the world--67%. The poll that was carried out by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and commissioned by the International Centre for Policy Studies confirmed once again: the problem of tobacco needs a proper government policy.
In 1994, the Ukrainian population was approximately 52mn, while now this indicator fell below 47mn. This record-high drop in the population numbers over the recent years is explained by the high level of untimely deaths. Tobacco is one the factors behind high mortality and early deaths in Ukraine.
In 2005, the overall prevalence of smoking among the adult population of Ukraine was 41% or 15.5mn Ukrainians. At the same time, 9% of respondents were former smokers (3.4mn Ukrainians) and 50% of respondents (18.8mn Ukrainians) were non-smokers.
Annual consumption of cigarettes by Ukrainian smokers constantly grows. At the moment, annual volume of the Ukrainian cigarette market is approximately 84bn cigarettes (4.2bn packs), worth about UAH 8-9bn. This indicator is much higher than the estimates made in late 1990s.
Smoking prevalence among Ukrainian men is one of the highest in the world, at 67%. The highest smoking prevalence among men is 75% in Eastern and 68% in Northern Ukraine, whereas the lowest smoking prevalence among males was registered in Kyiv (61%). Smoking prevalence is lower among better-educated men, those living in larger cities and those with a higher income.
Smoking prevalence among Ukrainian women is 20% and it constantly grows. The smoking prevalence distribution among women is the opposite of that among Ukrainian men: more educated, more affluent women and those who live in larger cities smoke at higher rates than less educated women with lower income levels in more rural settings. This may be a sign of a growing tobacco epidemic among Ukrainian women. As for women, smoking prevalence in Western and Northern Ukraine (12-14%) is almost half of what is found in Eastern and Southern Ukraine and in Kyiv (23-26%).
Legislative steps aimed at reducing consumption of tobacco products in Ukraine are not comprehensive. Taxes on tobacco products are raised at a more sluggish pace than the inflation rate grows. Advertising of tobacco products is restricted on television, radio and in some other media; however, outdoor advertising, advertising in points of sales and other types of tobacco advertising are represented broadly. The legislation on a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising has not been adopted yet.
Ukrainians begin to smoke at a tender age. Half of the men who have ever smoked had their first cigarette under 15 years of age. Half of the women who ever smoked had their first cigarette under 17 years of age. Ukrainian smokers smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day is 16 for male smokers and 11 for female smokers. The majority of male smokers use regular-strength cigarettes and the majority of female smokers use light cigarettes. Monthly expenditures on tobacco products are significantly higher for those who smoke light rather than regular-strength cigarettes (UAH 45 versus UAH 38). On the average, light smokers (1-10 cigarettes per day) spend UAH 22 per month, medium smokers (11-20 cigarettes per day) spend UAH 48 per month and heavy smokers (21+ cigarettes per day) spend UAH 90 per month on tobacco products. The majority of the Ukrainian population perceive themselves to be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at least on a daily basis. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is more prevalent in larger cities than in towns and villages, and for people with higher incomes compared to lower ones. Six in ten (61%) households either have no smokers or require people to smoke outdoors.
The "Policy Campaign for Tobacco Control" Project was implemented by the International Centre for Policy Studies jointly with the Tobacco Control Resource Center and with the financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation and the Network Public Health Program of the Open Society Institute. For additional information, contact Project Manager Andriy Beha by telephone at (380-44) 484-4400 or via e-mail at abega _сабака_ icps.kiev.ua.
# 325, 19 June 2006
Jun 19, 2006
The results of the survey called "Tobacco in Ukraine: the national poll on tobacco-related knowledge, attitude and behavior" are not comforting. This survey registered one of the highest smoking prevalence among males across the world--67%. The poll that was carried out by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and commissioned by the International Centre for Policy Studies confirmed once again: the problem of tobacco needs a proper government policy.
In 1994, the Ukrainian population was approximately 52mn, while now this indicator fell below 47mn. This record-high drop in the population numbers over the recent years is explained by the high level of untimely deaths. Tobacco is one the factors behind high mortality and early deaths in Ukraine.
In 2005, the overall prevalence of smoking among the adult population of Ukraine was 41% or 15.5mn Ukrainians. At the same time, 9% of respondents were former smokers (3.4mn Ukrainians) and 50% of respondents (18.8mn Ukrainians) were non-smokers.
Annual consumption of cigarettes by Ukrainian smokers constantly grows. At the moment, annual volume of the Ukrainian cigarette market is approximately 84bn cigarettes (4.2bn packs), worth about UAH 8-9bn. This indicator is much higher than the estimates made in late 1990s.
Smoking prevalence among Ukrainian men is one of the highest in the world, at 67%. The highest smoking prevalence among men is 75% in Eastern and 68% in Northern Ukraine, whereas the lowest smoking prevalence among males was registered in Kyiv (61%). Smoking prevalence is lower among better-educated men, those living in larger cities and those with a higher income.
Smoking prevalence among Ukrainian women is 20% and it constantly grows. The smoking prevalence distribution among women is the opposite of that among Ukrainian men: more educated, more affluent women and those who live in larger cities smoke at higher rates than less educated women with lower income levels in more rural settings. This may be a sign of a growing tobacco epidemic among Ukrainian women. As for women, smoking prevalence in Western and Northern Ukraine (12-14%) is almost half of what is found in Eastern and Southern Ukraine and in Kyiv (23-26%).
Legislative steps aimed at reducing consumption of tobacco products in Ukraine are not comprehensive. Taxes on tobacco products are raised at a more sluggish pace than the inflation rate grows. Advertising of tobacco products is restricted on television, radio and in some other media; however, outdoor advertising, advertising in points of sales and other types of tobacco advertising are represented broadly. The legislation on a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising has not been adopted yet.
Ukrainians begin to smoke at a tender age. Half of the men who have ever smoked had their first cigarette under 15 years of age. Half of the women who ever smoked had their first cigarette under 17 years of age. Ukrainian smokers smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day is 16 for male smokers and 11 for female smokers. The majority of male smokers use regular-strength cigarettes and the majority of female smokers use light cigarettes. Monthly expenditures on tobacco products are significantly higher for those who smoke light rather than regular-strength cigarettes (UAH 45 versus UAH 38). On the average, light smokers (1-10 cigarettes per day) spend UAH 22 per month, medium smokers (11-20 cigarettes per day) spend UAH 48 per month and heavy smokers (21+ cigarettes per day) spend UAH 90 per month on tobacco products. The majority of the Ukrainian population perceive themselves to be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at least on a daily basis. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is more prevalent in larger cities than in towns and villages, and for people with higher incomes compared to lower ones. Six in ten (61%) households either have no smokers or require people to smoke outdoors.
The "Policy Campaign for Tobacco Control" Project was implemented by the International Centre for Policy Studies jointly with the Tobacco Control Resource Center and with the financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation and the Network Public Health Program of the Open Society Institute. For additional information, contact Project Manager Andriy Beha by telephone at (380-44) 484-4400 or via e-mail at abega _сабака_ icps.kiev.ua.
