According to Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach, at least 16,000 people die every year in the Free State as a result of smoking. “Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among men in Bavaria and the second most common cause of death among women,” said the CSU politician on Thursday, in view of World Food Free Day. Tobacco, on Friday.
In 2020, the then Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml (also CSU) had the number of deaths at Consequence of tobacco consumption in Bavaria it is still stated as at least 15,000. The figures are based on information on tobacco-related deaths from the Tobacco Atlas 2020 of the German Center for Cancer Research.
Smokers have a significantly shorter life expectancy
Smoking is one of the most serious health risk factors in Germany, said the president of the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL), Christian Weidner. It damages almost all organs, especially the heart and lungs, and promotes the development of cancer.
More than 80% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. A total of 5,346 people in Bavaria died from tracheal or lung cancer in 2022. Furthermore, smokers have a significantly shorter life expectancy
The number of smokers is increasing slightly
The Ministry of Health announced that the proportion of smokers in the Free State’s population has increased slightly again recently. Thus, the proportion of smokers in Bavaria increased from 21 to 22 percent from 2018 to 2021, and that of female smokers from 15 to 16 percent in the same period.
In previous years, the rate had fallen significantly: in 2012, 28.8% of men and 20.8% of women in the Free State smoked. Bavaria still has the lowest smoking rate in the country. Gerlach emphasized the importance of consistently abstaining from tobacco consumption early prevention at Schools.
E-cigarettes are not a “healthy” alternative
LGL President Weidner also warned about the risks of alternatives to cigarettes, such as hookah or electronic cigarettes. After hookah smoking, the ambient air contains harmful substances such as fine dust, nicotine, carcinogenic cadmium or benzene.
The vapor from electronic cigarettes also contains substances that irritate the respiratory tract, in addition to the addictive substance nicotine and, to varying degrees, carcinogens. “The best alternative is not to smoke,” emphasized Weidner.
With DPA and EPD material