The structure of consumption of tobacco and nicotine-containing products among Veterans

Objective: analysis of the structure and characteristics of the consumption of various types of tobacco and nicotine-containing products by Veterans.

Materials and methods: the analysis was carried out based on the results of a survey of Veterans using a developed questionnaire. The survey was conducted at the offices of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. The proportions of respondents who consumed various types of products, indicators of smoking intensity and knowledge about the health risks of tobacco and nicotine were calculated. The comparison of groups of consumers and non-tobacco/nicotine users was carried out using a two-proportional Z-test.

Results: 1,135 Veterans took part in the survey. Almost all tobacco/ nicotine users (96.2%) used tobacco products. The share of consumers of nicotine-containing products was 25.4%. The majority of consumers (78.2%) consumed only tobacco products, 17.8% consumed both tobacco and nicotine-containing products, and a small proportion (3.9%) consumed only nicotine-containing products. Industrially produced cigarettes were the most consumed in terms of quantity — 17.5 cigarettes/day. 64.4% of consumers of nicotine-containing products used electronic cigarettes and vapes. 96% of consumers of nicotine-containing products also consumed tobacco products, smoking an average of 16 cigarettes/day.

Conclusion: the consumption of tobacco and nicotine-containing products and the intensity of smoking among the Veterans were higher than among the civilian population. The perception of the tobacco/nicotine to health was lower Among SVO participants.

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