Indonesian men top world's smokers as two-thirds light up in country with little restrictions
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesian men rank as the world's top smokers, with two out of three of them lighting up in a country where cigarettes cost pennies and tobacco advertising is everywhere.
A survey released Tuesday found that 67 per cent of all males over 15 years old smoke. The sprawling archipelago ranked second only to Russia overall with a rate of 35 per cent.
More than 8,000 people participated in last year's study which found a high rate of people subjected to second-hand smoke at work, home and in public places.
Indonesia has long been criticized for its lack of tobacco controls. It is one of a remaining handful of countries that have failed to sign the World Health Organization's tobacco treaty.
Smoking-related illnesses kill at least 200,000 people annually in Indonesia.
