250 million just cigarettes, millions more alcohol: Customs reveals its consumption to us

Kosovo ranks as the poorest Southeast European country, where 34 per cent of the population live in extreme poverty, and despite that millions of euros are being spent on alcohol consumption and cigarettes. According to statistics from Kosovo Customs in 2019, Kosovo has noted increases in the importation of tobacco and alcohol, also considered luxury products. Kosovo Customs spokesman Adriatic Stavileci says Kosovo citizens last year have consumed 3 thousand tonnes of cigarettes, while up to 250m euros have been spent on their purchase.

According to him, tobacco is imported mainly by European states such as Switzerland, Poland, Germany and Italy.

This year we have an import increase, but the trend is still the same. Kosovo spends about 3 thousand tons of tobacco in one year, or packed cigarettes, and we can say the trend is again the same, we're there. If last year we had 2700 tons in one year, this year it's slightly more than 28,000 tons, so we have a slight increase in tobacco import... We have spent about 170m euros in tax payments in terms of tobacco, until as a total value spent on tax payments and tobacco purchase exceeds 230m euros. That means Kosovo spends about 230m to 250m euros on tobacco in one year, Stavileci says.

According to Kosovo Customs statistics last year, more than 3.7m euros of alcohol have been imported.

The strong alcohol type mainly in Kosovo comes from Scotland and England, while beer types are imported from Germany.

This year represents growth year-on-year. If we had about 3.4m euros in imports last year, we have now grown to 3.7m euros of imports so there is an increased alcohol trend, but it doesn't mean that we have a growing consumption trend, but this is an increase in the price of international prices in terms of alcohol producers... the primary import of alcohol is made by European union countries from well-known producers, we can mention that we have strong alcohol imports from Scotland, from England, the imports of beer which also comes from Germany, and we have the numerous imports of wines from France, from Portugal or Spain, the Stavile, from Spain.

But heavy consumption of alcohol and tobacco in Kosovo society is considered one of the most dangerous vices, especially for the health of young people in Kosovo who early age start consuming these two products.

Pulmology Clinic Director Rukije Mehmeti tells Kosova Preis that the number of cases with lung problems due to tobacco consumption is increasing in this daily clinic.

According to her, early consumption of tobacco has become a bad habit for Kosovo youth, for which it required greater education by both parents and educational and health institutions.

From day to day, we're having lung problems as a result of smoking, and the result is that these young people start smoking very early, since elementary school banks have a long period of smoking and I think that this is where it needs to be worked. This affects the appearance of not only lung problems but premature aging, premature death, cancer problems not only in lungs but and in all other organs in this century should be thought of as much as not to smoke”, Mehmet says.

Pulmologist Mehmet has talked about the negative effects of alcohol on human health.

Even alcohol affects health because alcohol is always associated with tobacco, we have very few people who smoke and don't smoke. As alcohol consumes alcohol, the liver is damaged, the lungs are damaged... the biggest damage is the brain, which is control of the whole body, and with the loss of control, there is no self-control”, Mehmet said.

Despite knowing the negative effects, Kosovo citizens satisfy their own satisfaction with the use of alcohol and tobacco.

Shaban Balaj says that alcohol consumes it most at parties, while smoking has a good time.

He even says 60 euros a month is at least spent on tobacco.

“Po used it moderately, not too much, but not a little bit of it... It's usually a package a day, yes... Internationally 2 euros a day, 60 euros a month”, he said.

A daily pack of cigarettes is also consumed by Azra Kasumi, who says that a month for this luxury expense paid between 60 and 80 euros.

Kasumi does not get over his head sometimes by drinking alcoholic beverages at a variety of parties or parties.

I drink it every day in case... About 60 to 80 euros... When I go out and drink”, Kasumi says

By evening when she joins her family, she likes to consume a glass of wine or even brandy, Atifete Ahmeti, who says that she and her entire family do not consume tobacco.

Not that much, but on special occasions... parties, any nights, any birthdays, not every night... We like a glass of wine at dinner like that or a very good raki... no one from my family, I don't like my friend or five girls I don't smoke, we're”, Ahmeti says.