Every Third Resident of Cyprus Smokes, New Survey Reveals

Philip Morris International Inc., a global leader in tobacco manufacturing, has released the findings of its latest smoking survey in Cyprus. The data shows that one in three residents of the island currently smokes.

To assist in the transition from cigarettes to alternative products, the company commissioned its third study with the leading marketing research firm, MARC, since 2022.

Among the 809 respondents aged 21 and older, 32.6% reported being smokers, while 67.2% either quit smoking or never smoked at all. Interestingly, 62% of respondents expressed a lack of information about the benefits of quitting smoking, up from 58.1% in 2023 and 57.6% in 2022.

For smokers, the main motivations for quitting included health concerns (73.3%), financial reasons (45.3%), a desire for independence from addiction (36.1%), protecting loved ones from secondhand smoke (36%), and negative reactions from family and friends (28.1%).

The survey also asked participants which aspect of smoking traditional cigarettes they believe to be the most harmful. The responses were revealing: 44.3% identified tar as the most harmful element, 28.7% pointed to nicotine, 8.9% to addiction, and 6.2% to carbon monoxide.

Only 4.6% correctly identified the burning of tobacco as the most harmful aspect, even though experts agree that the combustion process releases a dangerous mix of chemicals linked to smoking-related diseases.

This highlights a significant gap in smokers' understanding, as the majority are unaware of which aspect of traditional cigarettes poses the greatest health risk, and much of their knowledge about alternatives is based on hearsay.

Despite the availability of alternative smoking products, the percentage of traditional cigarette smokers has remained steady: 30.1% in 2023, compared to 31.3% in 2022.

However, the use of alternative products has increased over the past three years: in 2024, 15.4% of respondents said they exclusively or occasionally used alternatives alongside regular cigarettes, up from 13.4% in 2023 and 10.8% in 2022.