Marc research on smoking suggests that "cigarettes belong in museums"

A decreasing trend in the number of smokers has been demonstrated in the 2nd Pancyprian Smoking Survey conducted by research company Marc on behalf of Philip Morris Cyprus, and in which 801 households participated.

At the same time, technology and science have emerged as a decisive factor in the choice of alternative tobacco products, the survey found.

More specifically, one in three Cypriots (30.1%) continues to smoke (a percentage reduced by 1.2% compared to 2022), despite the fact that 9 out of 10 (86.6%) are concerned about the effects of smoking on their health. At the same time, 8 out of 10 (79.8%) smokers state that their main motivation for quitting smoking is the impact it has on their health and physical condition. Regarding alternative products, 86.3% of respondents (increased by 1.9% compared to last year's survey) state that technology and science should be taken seriously when choosing them.

In addition to health, the effects of smoking on interpersonal relationships also appear to be important. Specifically, 6 out of 10 (61.1%) non-smokers reported that are bothered by their partner's smoking habit, while almost 64.9% of them consider it as an outdated habit with smoke (21.9%), the smell in the room (20.1%), the smoker's breath (17.8% ) and the smell in clothes (15.1) to be the most disturbing factors.

Nevertheless, the research highlights a serious lack of information among smokers about alternative tobacco products. Only 1 in 5 (21.8%) smokers say they are fully informed about alternatives despite the fact that 8 in 10 (80.9% ) say they should receive adequate information and access to information about alternatives instead of smoking. 37 % (increased by 4.6% compared to last year) of the entire population declare that they are informed about these products by friends and acquaintances.

Commenting on the research, Stavros Drakoularakos, General Manager of Philip Morris Cyprus, said: "We are intensifying efforts for a Cyprus free from cigarettes by 2030. With science as a vehicle and technology as a guide, the people of Philip Morris Cyprus work every day towards this goal but we cannot achieve it alone. Everyone, including the State and regulatory authorities, can help accelerate what Marc's research amply demonstrates: Cigarettes belong in museums."