Study: proportion of young smokers is increasing

Worrying poll
Percentage of young smokers in Germany is increasing significantly

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According to a representative survey, the proportion of smokers in this country has increased significantly – especially among people between 16 and 29. We reveal all the results here.

While Sweden is well on the way to becoming the first country in the world to be smoke-free, Germany seems to be taking a step back when it comes to smoking, according to a representative Forsa survey commissioned by the Kaufmännische Krankenkasse (KKH). , the proportion of smokers in this country is increasing again. Of particular concern: young people in particular seem to be smoking more cigarettes again.

Younger people smoke more

According to survey Eleven percent of 16 to 29 year olds describe themselves as regular smokers. For comparison: in 2020, only six percent of people in this age group often reached for the fags. According to the current survey, two percent of those questioned stated that they smoke occasionally, while 87 percent described themselves as non-smokers.

More smokers are now being smoked again among 30 to 49-year-olds, although the proportion has increased less significantly from 19 to 21 percent. Older people, on the other hand, seem to dislike cigarettes less and less. The proportion of smokers between the ages of 50 and 69 fell slightly from 23 to 19 percent.

In total According to a survey, 18 percent of people over the age of 16 smoke in Germany regularly. The proportion of occasional smokers is six percent, and 76 percent describe themselves as non-smokers. It is interesting that women seem to smoke cigarettes a little more often than men: while 74 percent of women classify themselves as non-smokers, 77 percent of men do not smoke.

Will there soon be less nicotine advertising?

The results of the Forsa survey also brought Burkhard Blienert, the German government’s addiction and drug commissioner, to the scene. He speaks for one further restriction of advertising measures from: “The free sale of heaters, e-cigarettes and vapes should be a thing of the past, as should advertising on billboards and sponsorship by the nicotine industry.”

Alone in Germany Between 110,000 and 140,000 people die every year as a result of tobacco use. And 85,000 people develop cancer each year as a result of smoking. According to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), other secondary diseases such as cardiovascular diseases or chronic bronchitis are also possible.

Not all is well in Sweden either

By the way: Apparently, Sweden cannot go entirely without tobacco either. So the Swedes (and no one else in the EU) are still allowed to legally consume snus – and are increasingly doing so again. Snus is moist tobacco which is clamped behind the upper or lower lip and which releases nicotine continuously for 15 to 30 minutes. Although snus is considered less harmful than a cigarette, apart from the nicotine-related potential for addiction, consumption increases the risk of oral mucosal inflammation and even pancreatic cancer.

Bridget

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