Tag: smoking rates

  • Survey Breaks Down Fiji’s Smoking Habits

    Survey Breaks Down Fiji’s Smoking Habits

    A survey in Fiji found that 36.3% of adults currently use tobacco, with significantly higher smoking rates among men (50.8%) than women (20.6%). Manufactured cigarettes remain the dominant tobacco product among smokers, with 80.6% of daily smokers using them, according to the Fiji STEPS Survey 2025. The survey was conducted between May 2024 and June 2025 among adults aged 18 to 69.

    Daily smoking was reported by 19.5% of adults, while smokeless tobacco use stood at 9.5%, primarily among men. The study also highlighted emerging nicotine trends, with 4.5% of adults reporting e-cigarette use, indicating growing diversification in nicotine consumption despite the continued dominance of manufactured cigarettes.

  • Korea: Male Smoking Prevalence Drops Drastically Since 2015

    Korea: Male Smoking Prevalence Drops Drastically Since 2015

    Cigarette smoking among young South Korean men has dropped sharply over the past decade, according to new data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). In 2024, 28.5% of men in their 30s and 22.6% of men aged 19 to 29 were cigarette smokers—declines of 19.5% and 16.1% respectively since 2015. Men in their 40s recorded the highest smoking rate at 36.9%, down from 45.8%.

    The study also found that about 40% of men in their 30s used some form of tobacco in 2024, down only 4.9% from 2019. For men in their 40s, total tobacco use increased slightly despite a small decline in cigarette smoking, reflecting the growing shift toward alternative products.

    Health officials attribute part of the trend to changing perceptions about harm. A September 2025 survey of students found that 32.2% believed e-cigarettes were less harmful—or not harmful at all—compared to cigarettes. While authorities welcome the decline in cigarette use, they warn that misconceptions about alternative products may slow broader tobacco harm-reduction progress.