Tightening of e-cigarette regulation may result in every tenth Russian returning to conventional cigarettes.
MOSCOW, December 2, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey devoted to the use of electronic nicotine devices and public response to possible restrictions which may be placed upon their use.
One-third of Russians occasionally use tobacco or nicotine devices (cigars, cigarettes, electronic devices for tobacco heating, vapes) (27%); the number of male smokers is three times as many as female smokers (42% vs 15%, respectively). Apart from “classical” tobacco smoking products (cigarettes, cigars, etc.) 2% of Russians use modern types of smoking, such as electronic cigarettes (vapes), devices for tobacco heating. Ninety-eight percent of those who use electronic smoking devices previously smoked traditional cigarettes.
The online survey among Russians using electronic cigarettes shows that half of them (49%) say they prefer e-cigarettes because they are less harmful to health and do not make clothes smell bad (48%). Every third (29%) can use e-cigarettes where it is forbidden to use ordinary cigarettes.
Twenty-five percent of respondents say that their switch to electronic smoking is a step towards quitting smoking ordinary cigarettes: they use e-cigarettes to stop smoking at all.
More than half of smokers (59%) are confident that e-cigarettes are not tobacco cigarettes; they need to be legislated in another way. Another 17% consider that e-cigarettes are just products: to sell them no special regulations are needed. At the same time, 84% of respondents support ban on sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
Almost half of smokers (48%) would like to be informed about possible regulations of sales and use of e-cigarettes and would like to take part in public discussions themselves. The same share of respondents (48%) is ready to defend their interests in case a new ban is introduced.
Fifty-four percent of Russians will not abandon e-cigarettes even if their free sales and access are restricted. Every tenth Russian (13%) will be ready to switch back to ordinary cigarette smoking; the same number of respondents will keep searching for something which is not restricted. Only 13% of respondents say they will try to abandon both tobacco and e-cigarettes.
Findings portray typical e-cigarette users in the following way: 75% have higher education diplomas; 61% are married; a majority of them (58%) are high-skilled employees and middle-ranking managers.
Nationwide VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on November 17, 2019, and commissioned by the Institute of Regional Problems. WCIOM’s expert decision “Public social study” was used in the project.
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,600 Russians aged 18 and older. A stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of Russian landline and mobile phone numbers is used. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Online survey was conducted among e-cigarette users on November 11-21 (certified panel). Sample involved 1,000 respondents representing Russian target audience living in the Russian cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, aged 18 and over who use e-cigarettes or tobacco heating products.
Do you smoke or not? If yes, what nicotine-containing products do you use? (closed-ended question, any number of answers, %) | |||
| Total respondents | Men | Women |
Cigarettes, tobacco | 21 | 34 | 11 |
Cigars | 4 | 6 | 2 |
E-cigarettes, vapes, tobacco heating products (Iqos, for example) , | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Hookah, smoking blends | 2 | 3 | 2 |
I do not smoke | 73 | 58 | 85 |
Other | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Don’ t know / refusal to answer | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Did you use nicotine-containing products before using e-cigarettes/vapes/ tobacco heating products? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer , %) | |
| Total respondents |
Yes, I did | 98 |
No, I did not | 2 |
Why did you switch to e-cigarettes/vapes/ tobacco heating products? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, up to 3 answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Less harmful to health than ordinary cigarettes | 49 |
Clothes do not have unpleasant smell | 48 |
You can choose a flavor | 33 |
No limitations; you can smoke even where smoking is prohibited (public transportation, restaurant) | 29 |
I want to quit smoking; e-cigarettes, vapes/tobacco heating products are a step forward | 25 |
This is trendy | 18 |
You can control the amount of nicotine you smoke | 15 |
It is cheaper | 10 |
Other | 1 |
Don’ t know | 1 |
Do you think that e-cigarettes should be legislatively regarded as tobacco smoking and be subject to the same restriction as for ordinary cigarettes; there should be another regulation for e-cigarettes; or sale and consumption of e-cigarettes should not be restricted at all? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
E-cigarettes should be legislatively regarded as tobacco smoking and be subject to the same restrictions as for ordinary cigarettes ; restrictions on e-cigarette sales and consumption should be introduced | 19 |
E-cigarette should not be legislatively regarded as tobacco smoking; separate regulations for its sales and consumption should be introduced | 59 |
No special regulations on e-cigarette sales and consumption should be introduced | 17 |
Don’ t know | 5 |
Do you support/ oppose measures restricting minors’ access to e- cigarettes /vapes/ tobacco heating products? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Completely support | 84 |
Completely oppose | 12 |
Don’ t know | 4 |
Would you like to know more about possible regulations concerning e-cigarette sales and consumption and to take part in public discussion? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Yes, I would like to know more about draft regulations and am ready to take part in the public discussion | 48 |
Yes, I would like to know more about draft regulations but I am not ready to take part in the public discussion | 39 |
No, I am not interested; I think legislators will find a way out | 8 |
No, I am not interested in this issue | 5 |
If you do not accept the adopted regulations, will you defend your interests? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer %) | |
| Total respondents |
Yes, I will defend my interests by any means | 13 |
Yes, but only using legal ways (petitions to the procurator's office, signatures collection, participation in peaceful rallies, demonstrations, etc.) | 35 |
Yes, I will not defend my interests as a user of e-cigarettes/vapes/tobacco-heating products | 22 |
No, for now I am keeping silence but all these restrictions will influence my choice in next elections | 11 |
I will not react to that; it does not matter to me | 12 |
Don’ t know | 7 |
If certain legislative regulations concerning free sales and consumption of e-cigarettes/vapes/tobacco heating products are adopted and you do not accept them, what are you more likely to do? (online survey of target audience, smoking Russians, closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
I will have to switch to ordinary cigarettes | 13 |
I will not abandon e-cigarettes/vapes/ tobacco heating products: restrictions will only create certain inconveniences | 54 |
I will try to find something which is not subject to restrictions | 13 |
I will try to abandon e-cigarettes/vapes/tobacco heating products | 13 |
Other | 1 |
Don’ t know | 6 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.