Romanians are Heavy Smokers

According to official statistics, Romania has strong and stable tobacco sales because Romanians are heavy smokers. This situation is not new or transient, but traditional, with a well-established pre-revolutionary history.

This history is, however, one of marked domination by national manufacturers. At the beginning of the 1990s, Romania’s opening to foreign investments brought it within reach of the most important international tobacco product manufacturers. They found in Romania a tobacco market that was already strong, yet far from saturation and with huge potential. This opening, supported by weak tobacco-related legislation, led to an interest in tobacco at the beginning of the 1990s.

Romanians were fascinated by the array of cigarettes and brands on offer, and that were promoted with aggressive advertising. Romanians quickly turned towards the new brands as a result. For many years, advertising tobacco through all media and without boundaries raised the curiosity of many non-smokers – especially young ones. Youth smoking was prevalent over the review period, and the overall smoking prevalence in Romania is currently forecast to increase.