Ukrainians start smoking on average at 19.8 years old – poll
On average, Ukrainians start using nicotine-containing products at 19.8 years old. Meanwhile, 85% of adult consumers had their first experience smoking cigarettes. These findings are from a national survey titled "What Ukrainians Think About Anti-Smoking Initiatives," conducted by the Razumkov Center's sociological service from April 2 to April 20. The survey was commissioned by the NGO Ukraine's European Choice and presented at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
Another 4.6% chose other combustible tobacco products (hookah, rolling tobacco, cigars/cigarillos) as their first product, 2% of nicotine users started with electronic cigarettes, and less than 1% of respondents started with electrically heated tobacco products (hereinafter referred to as EHTPs).
At the same time, 76% of respondents and 82% of nicotine users are convinced that the ban on some 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 youth, as they are more effective in reducing the use of cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products.
Some 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 those who intend to continue smoking to switch to alternatives.
The most effective measures to reduce smoking in Ukraine, according to respondents, 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%); increasing penalties for retailers who sell goods to persons under 18 (23.1%); raising awareness among parents/guardians (19%) and imposing fines on couriers who deliver goods to persons under 18 (16.1%). The least effective option is to increase warning labels on cigarettes and nicotine products - it was supported by only 8.1% of respondents.
Some 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-containing 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 population about the risks associated with the consumption of illegal products," said Taras Klymenko, head of the public organization Ukraine's European Choice.
The face-to-face survey was conducted across all regions of Ukraine among 1,507 respondents aged 18 and over, in areas under government control. A stratified, multi-stage sampling method was used with random selection at the initial stages and quota-based selection at the final stage. The sample reflects the demographic structure of the adult population in the surveyed territories as of early 2022.