Top 10 countries where people smoke the most
The tobacco industry contributes a lot of pollutants to the world’s environment. Here are the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of smokers.
The tobacco industry is one that causes a lot of pollution in the world. According to the World Health Organization, “tobacco products are the most polluting item on the planet, as they contain more of 7,000 toxic chemicals that leach into our environment when disposed of. Approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette filters pollute our oceans, rivers, city sidewalks, parks, soil and beaches every year.”
In addition to its negative effect on the environment, smoking tobacco is also one of the deadliest habits a person can have, contributing to the deaths of more than eight million people worldwide every year.
Cigarettes cause 20% of deaths in the US
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking causes about one of every five deaths in the United States each year. The CDC says that this vice claims more than 480,000 lives each year, including deaths from secondhand smoke. The center’s figures show that life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers.
In addition, the tobacco industry is one of the few in which there is a true oligopoly; that is, a field which is dominated by a small number of large vendors.
According to an analysis by Insider Monkey, the five companies that control the cigarette market are Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco, and Company Limited. These businesses find their most lucrative market in the following countries, where you can find the highest percentage of smokers in the country’s population.
These are the 10 countries in the world where people smoke the most
Per the Insider Monkey’s study, this is the list of the 10 countries in the world where people smoke the most.
- Nauru - Current smoking prevalence of 42.1%
- Serbia - Current smoking prevalence of 39%
- Bulgaria - Current smoking prevalence of 38%
- Kiribati - Current smoking prevalence of 37.5%
- Papua New Guinea - Current smoking prevalence of 37.5%
- Croatia - Current smoking prevalence of 37.4%
- Solomon Islands - Current smoking prevalence of 35.5%
- Jordan - Current smoking prevalence of 35.5%
- Cyprus - Current smoking prevalence of 34.5%
- Latvia - Current smoking prevalence of 34.2%
What is the smoking situation in the US?
The use of cigarettes has reached historic lows in the United States. According to the most recent report from the CDC, around 12 out of every 100 adults aged 18 and older smoked cigarettes, down from almost 21% in 2005. Despite this development, however, cigarette smoking is still the number one cause of preventable deaths in the country.