Russia is the third largest tobacco producer in the world, number one being China, and second being the United States. This might not come as a surprise to most smokers because the demand for Russian cigarettes had increased quite radically in the last decade or so. Russia is top in one department although, this is for having the highest percentage of underage smokers in the world!
The tobacco sales in Russia show how much of an increase cigarettes are actually selling. In 1996 Russia produced 206bn cigarettes, 10 years later in 2006 the production of cigarettes increased to roughly 415bn cigarettes for the year. With this vast increase in tobacco production in Russia its lead to a few concerns to at the least for the health for many of the Russian people. It was stated by the Head of Health and Safety Committee that approximately 700 daily due to smoking of cigarettes. The death rate from 1996 until 2006 almost doubled!! From 250,000 of the Russian population a year has rose to over 400,000. These figures are relatively scary I would say.
The reason behind Russia for having such a higher percentage of deaths by cigarettes than anybody else is thought to be down to Russian cigarette having higher nicotine and tar levels in their cigarettes. This is only a suggestion though to why there are so many deaths in Russia. You do sympathize for so many deaths, but Russia are yet the only major country who haven’t signed the Anti-Smoking Legislation that was fashioned by the World-Health-Organization to aid countries with limiting tobacco manufacturers and controlling cigarette output. With Russia not signing the legislation it allows cigarette manufacturers to produce limitlessly and with taxes being so low cigarette production and sells are thriving.
Cigarette prices in Russia are also extremely cheap with these low taxes wherever you go to purchase them, being in a store, market, and petrol station etc. This is another reason to why Russian cigarettes are growing in popularity online too, Russian cigarettes are cheap enough as it is online and if you don’t have to pay duties or taxes it becomes like a wholesale for online buyers. It also is the main reason to why there are so many teenage smokers in Russia, cigarettes being easily affordable.
