Neuseeland is leading the way: the country wants to become smoke-free. By 2025, the proportion of the population who smokes should be less than five per cent, and people born after 1 January 2009 should never be allowed to legally buy cigarettes in New Zealand at any time in their lives. Health experts advocate that Germany should also move in this direction: Germany should become a tobacco-free country by 2040, according to plans by 52 health and civil society organizations, including the German Cancer Research Center and the German Cancer Aid. Then less than five percent of adults and less than two percent of youth should smoke.
After smoking rates have declined over recent decades, the trend is looking different in recent times. According to the latest data from the German Smoking Behavior Study, 34.3 percent of the population aged 14 years and older smoked in July this year, an increase of almost nine percent compared to September 2020.
Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine
I have been working as a news website author for the past year, and have written about a variety of healthcare-related topics. I am currently focusing on coverage of medical technology and innovation, as well as patient advocacy. I am also an avid cyclist and runner, and enjoy spending time outdoors exploring new trails or hitting the pavement for a run.
