Originally Posted by
Rowan
Visit Europe and you will find, as we did, that smoking is still a very fashionable pastime.
We are supposed to be in South America right now, but we changed our minds partly because we found our accommodation options were severely limited because we were non-smokers.
To the OP, one of the most significant motivating factors I used to give up smoking well over a decade ago now (apart from the real possibility of a second heart attack) was the thought that for every packet of cigarettes I bought, a large percentage went to a multinational company and to the Federal Government in excise.
I figured that neither of those two organisations really gave a rat's arse about my health and welfare, and I was damned if I was going to continue to make some faceless rich guys even wealthier, and pay any more tax than I had to.
The tax thing probably doesn't apply to you, but do you really want someone who has shares in a tobacco company getting rich at the expense of your bank account and your health?
And, the savings from not spending money on cigarettes helped me to buy whatever bike schwag I wanted, and helped me pay for trips overseas. Giving up is one of the best things I have done in my life.
It depends on where in Europe, it's higher in Eastern Europe, and lower in Western Europe, now it also depends on the data, some countries have more smokers, but lower cigarette consumption and some have fewer smokers, but heavier smokers.
The top 5 are the same on both lists though, Greece, Slovenia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic. Some countries are surprising though, Japan and Switzerland have high cigarette consumption. France, Germany and the UK are all lower (on consumption)then the US, as is Canada.