Tobacco control in Ukraine page 21
Nevertheless, measures of individual behaviour do not show a significant decrease in exposure to ETS: awareness of ETS-related harm, efforts to protect oneself against tobacco smoke, number of smokers in the family, even the respondent’s own smoking status were not associated with level of exposure to ETS. An analysis of surveys conducted in 2000 (12) and 2005 shows that support for smoke-free policies is higher among non-smokers, females, respondents aged 30–44 years and 60–74 years, more educated people and those living in smaller settlements. Generally, support for legislative regulation of smoking in public places increased from 87% to 96% (OR = 4.40; 95% CI = 3.19–6.07). Attitudes towards exposure to ETS can be best predicted according to the smoking status. While 68% of current smokers believe that tobacco smoke is definitely harmful, this proportion reaches 78% in former smokers and 84% in non-smokers. Women were more aware of ETS-related hazards than men, and this increased significantly between 2000 and 2005 (OR = 3.03; 95% CI = 2.33–3.95). The percentage of total respondents who agree that tobacco smoke is definitely harmful increased from 50.4% to 76.9%. Conclusions People cannot protect themselves from exposure to tobacco smoke. Only centrally adopted smoke-free policies in work- and public places can measurably decrease this exposure. Such policies have strong public support. Recommendations To reduce passive smoking rates in the population, public awareness campaigns on specific hazards of exposure to ETS are recommended. Comprehensive and well-enforced smoking bans in work- and public places do, however, have greater potential for protecting people.
Stopping smoking and level of nicotine dependence Former smokers As the nationally representative survey from 2005 (15) revealed, former smokers (those who used to smoke daily, but currently do not smoke at all) constitute only 9% of the adult population (14% of men and 4% of women), which is one fifth of the proportion of current smokers (40%). Thus only every sixth smoker has managed to stop smoking, a proportion which is similar for both male and female smokers. In 2000, former smokers also constituted 9% of the adult population (12). According to some surveys (see Table 6), the proportion of former smokers is as high as 13%, although the questions in those surveys were formulated in such a way that even those who had smoked just a few cigarettes during their lifetimes could be considered as former smokers. Thus between 2000 and 2005 there were no processes that could have an effect one way or another on the rates of people stopping smoking.