The World Cup… of quitting smoking! Peru would win

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The World Cup of stop smoking! Peru would WIN the tournament and England would make the semis, reveals official data based on rates of decline across all 32 competing nations

  • Peru may have already been knocked out in the group stages of the World Cup  
  • However, if the tournament was based on stop smoking, they would have won
  • England would have reached the semis – before losing to eventual winners Peru
  • Researchers mocked-up the results using official statistics from all 32 nations 

Peru may have already been knocked out in the group stages of the World Cup, after disappointing 1-0 defeats to Group C opponents France and Denmark.

But if the tournament was based on stop smoking rates, not football, then the South American nation would have clinched the prestigious trophy. 

Researchers mocked-up the results using official statistics on the decline in smoking rates across all 32 competing nations between 2000 and 2015.

The overall rates for each country are strictly estimates, but are based on data from national health authorities and the World Health Organization.  

Peru may have already been knocked out in the group stages of the World Cup. But if the tournament was based on stop smoking rates, not football, then they would have clinched the prestigious trophy (pictured after their Group C match against Australia on June 26)

Denmark, knocked out after losing a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Croatia in the last 16, would have reached the final of the mocked-up tournament, created to highlight how smoking rates have largely fallen across the world.

And England, whose fans are still celebrating with chants of ‘it’s coming home’ after beating Colombia on penalties in the round of 16 on Tuesday, would have reached the semi finals – before crashing out to eventual winners Peru.

The Three Lions would have also come unstuck against Japan in the third place play-off, after triumphing against Poland and Sweden – who they play in the quarter finals of the real tournament tomorrow – in the knock-outs. 

Mark MacGregor, of Philip Morris Limited, which simulated the tournament and sells smokeless device IQOS, said: ‘It’s great to see England make the semi-final in the World Cup of Quitting Smoking.


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‘This shows just how effective the Government’s forward-thinking approach to smoke free alternatives, such as vaping and heated tobacco, has been. 

‘With more widespread acceptance of these alternative products, we believe we could advance even faster by the time of the next World Cup.’

England’s smoking rate fell by 11.5 per cent between 2000 and 2015, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics and the NHS.

Peru has seen a 23.7 per cent drop, while at the other end of the scale, Egypt has recorded a 5.9 per cent gain in the number of smokers.

And England, whose fans are still celebrating beating Colombia on penalties in the round of 16 last night, would have reached the semi finals – before crashing out to eventual winners Peru (pictured: the squad line-up before their first match against Panama on June 24)

Comparisons to the actual tournament

Favourites Portugal, France, Germany and Belgium would all have been knocked out in the group stages of the mocked-up tournament.

And so would have Croatia, who many eager fans are convinced are the dark horses to taste their first ever World Cup glory in Russia.

After analysing the WHO data, only Group A and Group E produced identical results in the mocked-up tournament to their real progress.

Uruguay topped the former, with Russia taking second place. And Brazil claimed the latter, pipping Switzerland. 

End of smoking in sight?

It comes after official statistics yesterday showed the end of smoking may finally be in sight as 200,000 people gave up the bad habit last year in England. 

Government data revealed 14.9 per cent of adults across the country smoked in 2017 – the equivalent of 6.1 million people.

This is down from the 15.5 per cent (6.3 million people) recorded in 2016, according to figures from the NHS and Office for National Statistics.

Charities branded the data ‘encouraging’, as it also showed around an extra 70,000 smokers from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also quit.

HOW WOULD THE WORLD CUP PAN OUT, IF IT WAS BASED ON QUITTING SMOKING RATES 

GROUP STAGE 

Group A

Uruguay

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Egypt 

 

-14.1

-3.7

+4.7

+5.9 

Group E

Brazil

Switzerland

Costa Rica

Serbia 

 

-6.2

-5.9

-5.8 

-4.3 

Group B 

Spain

Iran

Portugal

Morocco 

-8.2

-4.3

-3.1

+4.2 

Group F 

South Korea

Sweden

Mexico

Germany 

 

-11.9

-6.9

-6.5

-4.1 

Group C

Peru

Denmark

Australia

France 

 

-23.7

-19

-8.8

-4.8 

Group G 

England

Tunisia

Belgium

Panama 

 

-11.5

-7.2

-5.4

-4.7 

Group D 

Argentina

Iceland

Croatia

Nigeria 

 

-10.6

-10.3

+0.8

+2.1 

Group H 

Japan

Poland

Colombia

Senegal 

 

-12.4

-11.1

-4.3

+2.2 

ROUND OF 16 

Uruguay v Iran

Peru v Iceland

Brazil v Sweden

England v Poland 

Spain v Russia

Argentina v Denmark

South Korea v Switzerland

Japan v Tunisia 

QUARTER FINALS

Uruguay v Peru

Sweden v England 

Spain v Denmark

South Korea v Japan 

SEMI FINALS 

Peru v England 

Denmark v Japan 

THIRD PLACE PLAY-OFF

England v Japan 

 

FINAL 

Peru v Denmark 

 

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