Smoking is a serious issue in Cambodia, as you can see nicotine addiction really plagues the rural areas with an almost 90% useage of cigarettes.

• Studies show that about 67% of men smoke in urban areas (Phnom Penh), while in rural areas, where most people live, about 86% of men smoke.
• Men’s smoking prevalence seems to peak among older men, (50 to 70 years). Some older men began smoking during Pol Pot’s regime in the late 1970s, because smokers were given 10-minute breaks every hour from hard labour by the Khmer Rouge.
• Smoking prevalence among monks is high, particularly in rural areas.
• Tobacco companies are major advertisers, accounting for 13% of all advertising in 2000. In 1997, half of all street advertising was for tobacco products.
• Street advertising of cigarettes rose by 400% between 1994 and 1997.
• In 1997, it was estimated that cigarettes comprised 30% of all imported goods.
• Support for tobacco control is high. A 1997 survey in Phnom Penh found about 80% of respondents believed the government should ban cigarette advertisements.
• The toll from smoking is hard to estimate due to inadequate data, but a 1997 (WHO/MOH) study estimated that 6,000 Cambodians die annually from smoking.
• The average age of smoking initiation is 20 of age for men and 26 year of age for women. About 10% of Cambodians begin to smoke at the age 10-14.
• 75.5% of the population in Cambodia is exposed to Second Hand Smoke. The exposure is higher in urban areas 81% compared to rural areas 74.7% (2004 Tobacco Survey, National Institute of Statistics, Ministry of Planning).
• 80% of Cambodian children under 13 years old live in households with at least one regular smoker in the family. This turns into roughly 3.1 Million of children victims of Second Hand Smoke (2004 tobacco, poverty and socioeconomic status in Cambodia by Lidee Khmer).
• 95% of all people who are exposed to Second Hand Smoke at home would support a ban on smoking in a public place.
• The total tobacco spending for the whole Cambodia is evaluated to US$69,442,961. While rural areas are the most populated region of Cambodia and it also bears the most burden of tobacco spending, as the total tobacco spending in rural region is the highest in Cambodia. This aggravates more the poverty in the rural areas ( 2004 tobacco, poverty and socioeconomic status in Cambodia by Lidee Khmer).

Buddhist Monks: Province-specific smoking prevalence rates between 14.6% (Phnom Penh) and 37.50%
(Siem Reap)
Soldiers: 77%
Health professionals: 15%
Teachers: 11%

Smoking Prevalence is about the same for Cambodia as other Asian countries.

Figures from the World Health Organisation & Other Studies.