Smoke hangers: the main smokers in Russia are 36-40 year olds
The most active smokers now are representatives of the middle age group of 36-45 years old, most of them are engaged in heavy physical labor and often drink alcohol. This portrait of the average tobacco user was compiled by the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Inaddition, researchers note that young people now start smoking with vapes. This trend worries the Ministry of Health. About who and how smokes in Russia - in the material "Izvestia".
Average Russian smoker
The most common Russian smoker is a man aged 35-45 years old, who is engaged in physical labor. At the same time, almost half of all smokers consume alcohol. Such data are reflected in the research of the center of socio-political monitoring of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (available at the disposal of "Izvestia").
The number of people who actively smoke has grown from 21.4% to 27.9% over the past two years. There are twice as many men in this category as women.
Those who work physically are more prone to bad habits - almost half of them smoke. And the share of smokers engaged in mental labor is 23%. There are also more tobacco users among regular drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
According to the authors of the study, the share of regular smokers is impressive among young people aged 18 to 24 years - a quarter of them actively consume nicotine. Another fifth smokes "sometimes".
"In terms of smoking, the expansion of the ways in which tobacco and nicotine-containing products are consumed through alternative products appears to have played a role," say the study authors.
Among those who smoke, 74.6% choose traditional smoking products in the form of cigarettes, cigars, pipes and more. Almost a quarter use vapes and electronic cigarettes, and 10.8% prefer tobacco heating systems, while about another one and a half percent smoke "something else."
"At the same time, citizens combine them among themselves, thereby only increasing health risks," the study emphasizes.
What smokers were like in 2023
In 2023, 19.1% of Russians aged 18 and older smoked tobacco, with e-cigarettes preferred by 3.2%. This was reported to "Izvestia" by Viktor Zykov, deputy head of the department of prevention of risk factors and communication technologies in health care of the Central Research Institute of organization and informatization of health care of the Ministry of Health of Russia.
- In general, as a result of the implementation of effective anti-tobacco measures, the prevalence of smoking among people over 15 years old, according to Rosstat data, has decreased from 39.1% in 2008 to 18.7% in 2023, - he emphasized.- At the same time, the trend of increasing consumption of vape devices in recent years has become really alarming, in connection with which the government is implementing a set of measures to prevent their consumption by the population, especially young people.
In 2023, according to Rosstat, 32.3% of men and 8% of women smoked daily or occasionally. Every third man smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day last year, while among women this share is six times less. The most active tobacco users at Rosstat are also people between the ages of 35 and 54. At older ages, the percentage of those who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes every day is higher.
The circle of e-cigarette consumers last year, according to Rosstat, expanded to older age groups. Cigarettes and vapes were most often combined by Russians aged 40-44. And young people aged 20-24 purchased mainly electronic smoking devices.
A similar study was conducted in 2023 by VTsIOM. According to the center, 62% of adult citizens have ever smoked. Used alternative systems along with cigarettes every third Russian.
Active smokers of cigarettes, as found in VCIOM, were people aged 35-45 years. And the main audience of vape - residents of cities with a population of over 500 thousand people, adults under 35 years of age. Every fifth Russian over the age of 18 has experience of using vapes.
Only 2% of respondents use tobacco heating systems exclusively; they are most popular among residents of both capitals and Russians aged 25-44. 17% of people have experience of using tobacco heating systems.
The key motives for starting to smoke traditional and alternative nicotine-containing products differ, VCIOM noted. Most often, former and current cigarette smokers were pushed to use by friends, interest and stress. Among the most popular reasons for starting to use heated tobacco and vapes - the lack of odor and the desire to give up conventional cigarettes.
At the same time, the majority of smokers, regardless of the products consumed, would like to get rid of the habit.
- The indicators of tobacco and vape smoking in the study of the research center for socio-political monitoring of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) are much higher than those of Rosstat, - said Viktor Zykov. - Probably, the RANKhIHS sample can be shifted to take into account more consumers of tobacco and other nicotine-containing products.
What are the consequences of smoking cigarettes
In Russia, 30% of the population smokes, of which avid smokers, according to various estimates, from a third to a half, told "Izvestia" pulmonologist, associate professor of internal, occupational diseases and rheumatology department of the Institute of Clinical Medicine of Sechenov University Vladimir Beketov.
- There are many inveterate smokers who are often not ready to quit even after a heart attack. At the same time, Russians, as a rule, do not turn to a narcologist or psychiatrist to fight tobacco addiction, and a therapist or pulmonologist can not help here - he said.
Chronic nicotine intoxication affects all organs and systems of the body, Dmitry Bessudnov, a therapist at Invitro, told Izvestia. According to him, the risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and related adverse outcomes, such as heart attacks, strokes and gangrene of the extremities due to occlusion of blood vessels by plaques, increase.
- This process occurs through several pathogenetic mechanisms, including vasospasm, pro-atherogenic effects and development of atherosclerosis, increased heart rate (HR) and hypoxia," he explained.
Roman Ivanov, an expert physician at the Hemotest laboratory, added that toxic substances from smoke penetrate into the lungs and then into the blood. Tar settles on the bronchi, provoking inflammation and disrupting the normal work of the ciliated epithelium, which cleans the airways. Carbon dioxide reduces tissue oxygenation, increasing the strain on the heart. The nicotine in the smoke affects the brain by increasing dopamine production, which creates the illusion of pleasure.
- Smoke inhaled during smoking contains more than 7 thousand chemical compounds, of which at least 69 are proven carcinogens, so smoking significantly increases the risk of malignant changes in tissues, - he said.
Many people, according to the expert, believe that smoking electronic cigarettes is safer, because it does not produce combustion products. However, their vapors also contain toxic compounds - formaldehyde, acrolein, heavy metals. Moreover, flavorings, often added to vape liquids, can also have a toxic effect on lung tissue.
- Propylene glycol and glycerin, the main components of liquids, when heated form substances that irritate the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Inhaling these vapors can cause coughing, inflammation of the lungs, and over time, chronic damage to the alveoli, - explained the doctor.
What harm is caused by vapes
The differences between cigarettes and the new systems depend on two factors, said Dmitry Bessudnov. The first is the way tobacco is delivered: smoking involves burning it, while the new systems can use a finely dispersed suspension.
- The second is the content of synthetic additives," the doctor noted. - Various synthetic components may be present in the formulations of cigarettes and smoking liquids. As a result, various associated diseases are possible, which are associated with effects on organs and systems with which direct contact occurs.
In the case of vapes and highly dispersed aerosols, a characteristic consequence may be the new EVALI disease. This is an acute lung injury caused by the use of electronic cigarettes and vapes. Allergic reactions to the synthetic components of the preparations are also possible.
- Negative effects from the use of vapes can be rapid - this applies to EVALI and allergic reaction, which can develop instantly, up to anaphylactic shock, - said Dmitry Bessudnov.
Another threat is oxidative stress, Roman Ivanov added. This is a process that worsens the condition of the entire body.
- Toxins inhaled when smoking cigarettes or vape increase the production of free radicals, - explained the doctor. - These are unstable molecules that contain an unpaired electron. They actively interact with other molecules in the body, causing damage to cells, proteins and DNA. Under normal conditions, the body copes with them thanks to the antioxidant system, which neutralizes their effects.
However, if there are too many free radicals, the defense system fails and oxidative (or oxidative) stress occurs. All tissues of the body in this case become more susceptible to destruction, the immune system deteriorates, the number of hidden inflammatory processes in the body increases.
Under such circumstances, the probability of developing chronic diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer's disease, increases significantly, the expert warned.
