More Germans are daily smokers than their counterparts in other European countries. Photo credit: Geri Tech
Public health authorities in Germany are expressing concern about an unforeseen rise in tobacco consumption, particularly among young individuals, following the implementation of Covid-19 lockdown measures.
The latest data from Debra, a survey supported by the German Health Ministry, reveals that the overall smoking rate in Germany surpassed 34% in July. This marks an increase from the rate of 26.5% observed in March 2020. Among the age group of 14 to 17-year-olds, the percentage of cigarette smokers rose to 15.9% in 2022, up from 8.7% in 2021.
A survey sponsored by the European Union in 2019 discovered that a higher proportion of Germans were daily smokers compared to their counterparts in other European countries.
Rüdiger Krech, the director of health promotion for the World Health Organization, stated that Germany is an outlier among other developed nations in this regard.
Various factors may be contributing to this trend, such as the disruption of daily routines caused by the pandemic, which has led people to spend more time at home where smoking restrictions may not apply.
Daniel Kotz, an epidemiologist and the director of the Debra study based in Düsseldorf, believes that relatively inexpensive prices and lenient anti-smoking policies have created an environment conducive to the increase in smoking following the pandemic. He anticipates that the smoking rate will remain higher than it was before the pandemic.
Jan Mücke, the c.e.o. of BVTE, a tobacco lobbying association, criticized the imposition of additional restrictions and cautioned against raising cigarette taxes, suggesting that it would drive people to engage in illegal markets. Mücke also expressed doubt about the reliability of Debra’s data, noting that their survey of 2,000 individuals lacks a significant number of adolescents. He referred to a separate government survey conducted in 2021, which reported that 6.1% of 12 to 17-year-olds were smokers.
Federal tax data for 2022 indicates an 8.3% decrease in the number of cigarettes sold compared to the previous year (2021).