The percentage of smoking Russians has hit a seven-year low, however, those who have not quitted smoking smoke more than before.
MOSCOW, May 31, 2016. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of the survey devoted to the following questions: how many Russians smoke today; how the cigarette consumption levels have changed over a year; whether the smokers abide by the ban on smoking in public places.
According to the survey data, the share of smoking Russians has been progressively declining in recent years: today 31% (a seven-year low), compared to 41% in 2013. Seventeen percent of them smoke one pack of cigarettes a day (24% in 2013). Men (45%) and young respondents (30% among 18-24-year-olds) report to smoke more than women (17%) and elderly respondents (15% among those aged 60 and over).
Today 69% of Russians do not smoke, including 57% of those who have never tried smoking.
According to almost one-quarter of respondents (28%), cigarette consumption has decreased over a year; they are mainly elderly respondents (41%). Sixteen percent smoke more than before (10% in 2014). They are mainly residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (21%). Half of Russians (54%) has not changed their smoking behavior: they smoke the same number of cigarettes as before.
The percentage of Russians who smoke only where it is not prohibited y the law has been about 55-56% in 2015-2016. Remarkably, the share of those who break this rule has decreased from 42% in 2014 to 33% in 2016.
The VCIOM opinion polls were conducted on May 21-22, 2016, in 130 settlements, 46 regions and 9 federal districts of Russia. Sample size for each survey was 1600 persons. The surveys were conducted with multi-stage stratified sample based on general rule of walking and quotas at the final selection stage; the sample is representative of the Russian population aged 18 and over according to sex, age, education, type of settlement. The margin of error (taking into account the design effect) with 95% confidence interval does not exceed 3.5%. The survey method is community-based formalized face-to-face interviews. Apart from the margin of error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the field work should be taken into account.
Do you smoke or not? If yes, how often? (open-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
One pack of cigarettes a day or more | 21 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 17 |
Several cigarettes almost every day | 16 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 12 |
Sometimes several cigarettes per week or per month | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
I quitted smoking and I have not been smoking for a while | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
I have never smoked | 51 | 52 | 48 | 52 | 55 | 57 |
Don’t know | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Over the past year have you smoked more, less or the same number of cigarettes as a year ago? (open-ended question, one answer, % of those who smoke) | |||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
Now I smoke more | 10 | 16 | 16 |
Now I smoke less | 24 | 29 | 28 |
I smoke the same number of cigarettes as before | 66 | 54 | 54 |
Don’t know | 0 | 1 | 2 |
What changes in your smoking behavior have happened after the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in Russia two years ago? (open-ended question, one answer, % of those who smoke) | |||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
I smoke only where it is allowed | 34 | 42 | 36 |
I continue smoking in any public place; If I have to, I pay a fine | 17 | 15 | 14 |
I try to smoke where nobody sees me (at entrance halls, etc.) | 25 | 20 | 19 |
I quitted smoking/ I am thinking over the idea to quit smoking | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Other | 3 | 2 | 3 |
This ban does not concern me, I have never smoked in places prohibited by the law | 14 | 14 | 19 |
Don’t know | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Note: Using materials from the websites 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.