Smoking ban for children: Germany follows France!

Smoking ban for children: Germany follows France!

What does summer mean for air quality in Germany? After France's bold move to introduce a comprehensive ban on smoking in public areas from July, local politicians from the SPD and Greens are also pushing for similar measures. In France, the ban applies in parks, in front of schools and at bus stops to protect children in particular from the dangers of passive smoking. Dagmar Schmidt from the SPD emphasizes how important this protection is for the health of the youngest. “The French smoking ban is a good example for us,” she says. Janosch Dahmen from the Greens also joins this initiative and, in addition to smoking bans, also calls for higher tobacco taxes and a strict ban on advertising for tobacco products. The health consequences for health insurance companies should not be underestimated.

What about e-cigarettes? Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has also spoken out and is calling for non-smoker protection to be expanded to include vapes and e-cigarettes. She warns that these devices often contain more harmful substances than initially thought. The minister makes it clear that the federal government has already taken measures to include e-cigarettes in the Federal Non-Smoker Protection Act. However, according to the regulations, responsibility for everything from restaurants to schools lies with the states, which makes protection in these facilities inadequate. “We urgently need stricter requirements to better protect children and young people,” demands Warken.

A necessary step for health

Some experts criticize the current non-smoking protection in Germany as inadequate and warn about the health consequences of tobacco consumption. The German Cancer Aid is calling on the federal government to do more for prevention, especially on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day. According to current statistics, tobacco consumption is the largest preventable risk factor for cancer - in Germany, 80% of lung cancer cases are smoking-related. At least 127,000 people die every year because of their smoking habits. The Cancer Society is therefore calling for a ban on smoking in playgrounds, sports facilities and educational institutions in order to protect younger people and promote a general rethink.

But it's not just Germany that needs action. At the European level, the EU is also proposing to introduce outdoor smoking bans in order to promote the health of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) also warns against flavored nicotine products, which are particularly attractive to young people. Statistics show that 12.5% ​​of minors in the WHO European Region used e-cigarettes in 2022, compared to just 2% of adults.

In summary, it can be seen that there is a lot to be done to sustainably change smoking behavior in Germany and to better protect people's health, especially young people. A look at France could be helpful in order to implement necessary regulations quickly and effectively here too.

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