Smoking in Germany
In Germany, smoking is allowed but regulated under national tobacco control laws. Cigarettes can be legally sold with a license, purchased online, and bought from vending machines. Importation for trade is also permitted with a lincense. Health warnings on packaging are compulsory, and the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products is 18 years. Nonetheless, a fully comprehensive smoke-free ban in all public places is not in place. Cigarettes are taxed at an overall rate of 64.44% and an excise rate of 29%. Despite this regulatory framework, Germany recorded approximately 13.9 million current adult smokers in 2024, corresponding to an adult smoking prevalence of 19.3%, while in 2022, this was 18.8%. Smoking prevalence was higher among men (22.1%) than among women (16.5%) in 2024. The adult daily smoking prevalence was 21.6% in 2023. In terms of health impact, smoking caused 98,991 deaths in 2021, including 70,315 among men and 28,676 among women. Overall, smoking resulted in 9.82% of all deaths in Germany in 2021, comprising 13.84% of all male deaths and 5.73% of all female deaths.
Read articles from Germany
March 05, 2020 by theguardian.com
'Thirdhand' smoke a health risk in cinemas, say researchers
[...] Now scientists say they have measured levels of such “thirdhand” smoke, suggesting it is carried on the bodies and clothing of moviegoers and could be a prominent, and lingering, source of hazardous chemicals.
“This represents significant but poorly understood health risks to non-smokers and a source of reactive chemicals indoors,” said Dr Drew Gentner, co-author of the research from Yale University, noting that previous studies suggest thirdhand smoke may account for between 5% and 60% of the combined disease burden from cigarette smoke in non-smokers.
December 11, 2019 by dw.com
Germany's conservatives back ban on tobacco ads
Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU, have backed a plan to phase out tobacco advertising in outdoor areas from 2022.
The issue has long been a source of debate within the country's ruling conservative bloc, which had struggled to arrive at a common position and had blocked previous efforts to introduce such a ban.
A policy paper endorsed by the bloc's parliamentary group on Tuesday said the move was necessary to confront "the biggest avoidable health risk of our time."
December 19, 2018 by xinhuanet.com
Germany backs EU plans to make tobacco industry cover costs of cigarette litter
Germany supports the European Commission's plan to make the tobacco industry cover the costs of management and clean-up of cigarette waste, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze told the newspapers of the Funke media group on Tuesday.
"Those who produce disposable items, such as cigarettes, will have to take more responsibility for the garbage in the future," Schulze said. The tobacco industry could be involved, for example, by contributing to the costs of cleaning up beaches and parks.
January 10, 2018 by dw.com
'No smoking': German Drugs Commissioner calls for fewer cigarettes on screen
While the number of smokers in Germany may have gone done over the last 15 years, cigarettes are still ubiquitous in films and on television. That's a problem, said Marlene Mortler, Germany's Federal Drugs Commissioner, [...]
"The more frequently that young people see others smoking in films and on television, the greater the likelihood is that they will pick up a cigarette," said Mortler [...]
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