There are more smokers in Russia than in any other country in the world, Russian Health Minister Tatyana Golikova said, citing a United Nations health report.
"A World Health Organization report indicates we are the first in the world in terms of tobacco consumption. We thought this would be Mexico or Egypt, but Mexico and Egypt found themselves much behind, so they are at more positive places than we are," Golikova said at a government meeting on Tuesday.
Some 39.1% of Russians smoke, while 400,000 people die from smoking-related diseases every year. Seventeen percent of all deaths in Russia are linked to smoking, she said.
An average Russian smokes 17 cigarettes a day which costs around 570 rubles ($19) a month. In 2009, money spent on cigarettes amounted to almost 1% of Russia’s Gross Domestic Product.
