Smoking in U.K. Could Vanish by 2050

Analysts found that the declining trends could mean smoking would "virtually disappear" by mid-century in Britain.

May 27, 2011

LONDON - Smoking has been on a downward spiral since the 1960s in the United Kingdom when more than 50 percent of British adults lit up. That number had plummeted to a fifth of adults by 2008 because of increased knowledge of smoking??s health risks and a 2007 smoking ban, The Telegraph reports.

"The percentage of smokers is declining across the developed world, and the declines are more or less in a straight line in most markets," said analysts of a Citigroup research study on smoking trends. "If these trends continue, then by 2050, many important tobacco markets will have gone to zero smoking."

But the analysts pointed out that these were "extremely long-term" trends. Pricing hikes will mean tobacco companies will continue operate at a profit for the next nine years at least.

The U.K. government has discussed requiring cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging to curb minor smoking, but nothing has been decided as of yet. Citigroup found that plain packaging initiatives would make "surprisingly little difference to smoking rates or profits."

The analysts said that they "don??t believe smokers are attracted to smoking by the packs because graphic health warnings already make them look revolting. Furthermore, plenty of drugs are bought without branded packaging."

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