Smoking ban à la France: Will the ban also come to Germany?

Smoking ban à la France: Will the ban also come to Germany?

Smoking is an issue that not only directly affects the health of those affected, but also our society as a whole. In Germany, the course could be set for stricter non-smoking protection measures, inspired by developments in France. From July 2023, smoking in public places will be severely restricted in order to protect children in particular. The reactions from German politics are clear: politicians from the SPD and the Greens are calling for similar measures to counteract the health risks posed by tobacco smoke. Dagmar Schmidt, deputy of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, describes the French smoking ban as a “courageous step” and a role model for Germany. The Green Party health expert Janosch Dahmen is also in favor of a smoking ban in public places in Germany in order to protect the population more efficiently.

The discussion about non-smoker protection is also being fueled by Johannes Bruns, the General Secretary of the German Cancer Society. He highlights that Germany is lagging behind in this area and that France should serve as an example. Tobacco consumption has devastating consequences: every year around 127,000 people in Germany die as a result of smoking, a third of them due to cardiovascular diseases. Every year, 85,000 people develop cancer caused by smoking. The data once again shows the urgency of reform.

Towards stricter regulations

Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) also supports stricter requirements for non-smoker protection. However, she sees the responsibility mainly as lying with the federal states, which are responsible for the regulations in public institutions such as restaurants, schools and universities. The federal government has already taken action by including e-cigarettes in the Non-Smoker Protection Act, but many points remain unaffected. Experts criticize the inadequate protection provided by existing regulations, while Health Minister Warken sees the consumption of e-cigarettes as a cause for concern. In their opinion, these products are more harmful to health than previously thought and contribute to the development of addiction among young people.

Many experts are calling on the federal government to do more for prevention - especially with a view to World No Tobacco Day. Tobacco use is the largest preventable risk factor for cancer. Eighty percent of lung cancer cases in Germany are caused by smoking. The cancer society is not the only one calling for concrete measures as part of its campaigns, such as a ban on smoking in playgrounds, schools and at sporting events.

International developments and challenges

The discussion is not limited to Germany. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly warned about the dangers of flavored nicotine products, which are particularly attractive to young people. In 2022, 12.5 percent of minors in the WHO European Region use e-cigarettes, compared to just 2 percent of adults. The WHO is therefore calling for flavors to be banned in tobacco products in order to prevent a wave of addiction. More than 50 countries have already introduced such bans, and although Germany is lagging behind in this area, change is on the horizon.

Current developments show that it is time to rethink health guidelines and strengthen protection for non-smokers. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to follow international models and sustainably protect the health of the population. What is clear, however, is that the debate about smoking bans in Germany is only really gaining momentum.

For more information on the topic of smoking and health, we recommend the articles from Picture, Federal Ministry of Health and daily news.