A new study has exposed the powerfully addictive nature of cigarettes with hooked smokers in several countries spending as much as a quarter of their monthly income on buying and smoking cigarettes.
Top on the list of the report are Australia and Chile whose 16.40% and 44.70% smoking populations spends as much as between 24% and 25% of their salaries lighting up.
Details of the study published Friday by https://provape.com/ pose a grim reminder to smokers in Nigeria and other developing countries about the heavy toll cigarettes take on their incomes.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
Around 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
The death toll is grim in Nigeria where no fewer than 26,800 persons die yearly of tobacco-related illnesses.
The latest data in the country shows that the tobacco industry has found and is exploiting weaknesses in the law to interfere in tobacco control at the risk of public health and government revenue.
Last year, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) raised the alarm that producers of the tobacco products were lobbying government agencies to ensure the next generation of tobacco addicts were raised in Nigeria.
This followed the lapsing of the negotiated moratorium on Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on tobacco products ends on November 20, 2023.
According to ProVape, Australia tops the ranking of the countries spending most on cigarettes, with 25% of average salaries going towards it.
Having the lowest average monthly income, Chile has the highest number of smokers in the ranking at 44.7%.
With only 0.46% of salaries spent on cigarettes, France is the last country on the list.
ProVape.com said it recently carried out the study to identify countries spending the most on cigarettes.
“Firstly, the countries with the highest number of smokers were identified, then the ones with the most expensive cigarettes were determined. Average monthly cigarette costs were summed based on the daily consumption of one pack. The percentage of average monthly income spent on cigarettes in each country was calculated, ranking the countries accordingly,” it said in a statement.
The statement adds that Australia tops the ranking of the countries spending most on cigarettes, with 25% of average salaries going towards it. Having the highest average salary of $3.4K on the list, the highest cost of cigarettes at $28 a pack still gets a quarter of the monthly income. However, Australia also has the lowest number of smokers in the ranking.
The study ranks Chile 2nd, with smokers spending 24.17% of their average salary on cigarettes.
It found that having the lowest average salary on the list at $654, Chile has the highest number of smokers by country at 44.7%. Interestingly enough, these numbers are quite opposite to Australia with Chile still holding the 2nd position.
In Romania, 20% of the average monthly salary is spent on cigarettes, ranking it 3rd. With an average salary a little bit higher than in Chile, and a monthly cost of $163.80 for 30 packs of cigarettes, the country’s smokers spend 5th part of their salary on smoking.
Hungary is 4th on the list, with its smokers spending 18.28% of their income on cigarettes. With an average monthly salary of $963 and the cost for cigarettes reaching $176 a month, 30.6% of Hungarians still choose to smoke.
Ranking 5th, The UK has its smokers’ 16.84% of the average salary spent on cigarettes. Even with a relatively high average salary and a moderate smoking rate of 19.2%, the high cost of cigarettes contributes to its position in the ranking.
In Ireland 15.91% of the average salary goes to cigarettes, placing it 6th on the list. Having a high average salary at $3.1K and a smoking rate of 23.6%, the costly price of cigarettes at $504 per month keeps the ranking high.
Smokers in Portugal spend 15.39% of their monthly income on cigarettes, ranking it 7th. With an average salary of $1,1K and a not very high monthly cigarette expenses, this spending is notable taking into consideration the smoking population of 27.9%.
Canada ranks 8th on the list with 14.00% of the average salary being spent on cigarettes. Even with a high average salary of and a lower smoking rate of 17.5%, the significant cost of cigarettes at $411 per month influences its rank on the list.
Slovakia’s smokers spend 13.76% of their average salary on cigarettes, marking 9th position on the list. With an average salary of $1,1K and monthly cigarette costs of $163, 32.3% of Slovaks continue to choose smoking regardless of its economic impact.
France rounds off the list, with smokers spending 13.71% of their average salary on cigarettes. Having a reasonably high average salary of $2,5K, the high cost of $345 per month for cigarettes is not a considerable factor for the 34.6% of French people who smoke.
