Decrease in Smoking Rates Among German Youth: Report

According to a report published by Aerzte Zeitung on May 27, the Federal Center for Health Education in Germany (BZgA) announced on Monday (27th) that the proportion of young smokers in Germany has significantly decreased since 2001.

The report highlights that the number of non-smoking adolescents aged 12 to 17 has reached 83%, while among young adults aged 18 to 25, this proportion is 47%. The proportion of male adolescent smokers has dropped from 27.2% in 2001 to 9.3% in 2015, and is projected to decrease to 7.2% by 2023. Among female smokers aged 12 to 17, the smoking rate decreased from 27.9% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2016, and is expected to stabilize at 6.4% by 2023. The proportion of smokers among the 18 to 25 age group is also decreasing.

According to the survey results, 33.6% of young men and 18.4% of young women are smokers. However, regardless of age group (12-17 or 18-25), disposable e-cigarettes are favored. The survey shows that in the past 30 days, approximately 7% of those aged 12-17 and 12% of those aged 18-25 have used disposable e-cigarettes.

Burkhard Blienert, the official responsible for addiction and drug issues in the German federal government, stated that

It is encouraging to see that the majority of teenagers are very conscious of their health, with an increasing number of young people no longer using cigarettes or tobacco products. However, we must not relax our efforts to combat smoking. On one hand, disposable e-cigarettes, in particular, have a special appeal to teenagers, possibly due to their small size, bright colors, and cheap prices. On the other hand, nearly 127,000 people die each year as a result of smoking. In Germany, lung cancer remains the second most common cancer in men and the third most common cancer in women. Therefore, I hope that we can make progress in restricting advertising, marketing, and sponsorships. Additionally, banning direct advertising at point of sale and tobacco company-sponsored events would have a significant impact.

Johannes Nießen, the interim head of the German Federal Institute for Prevention and Health Education (BIPAM) and the BZgA, stated that

For most teenagers, smoking is still not a popular activity. Data shows that young people are well aware of the dangers of smoking. However, when it comes to other nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, their sensitivity to health risks is lower. Therefore, we need to strengthen education measures. In particular, the issue of disposable e-cigarettes, which are cheap and easily attract young people to try, the sweet flavors also mask the harm of these products.