Berlin. The federal government’s drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert, believes it is wrong that cigarettes are available 24 hours a day in kiosks and petrol stations. “We are the only country in the world that still has 300,000 cigarette machines,” he told “Welt”. In order to limit tobacco consumption, cigarettes should in future be sold in licensed specialist shops. This is already the case in Sweden or Austria.
The reason for the initiative is the smoking rate, which is higher in Germany compared to other European countries. It was high in mid-2024 Study by Deborah (German survey on smoking behavior) 30% for adults and 15% for young people aged 14 to 17. The population-representative survey on tobacco or e-cigarette consumption is carried out by the Department of Addiction Research and Clinical Epidemiology at the Institute of General Medicine at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf.
Blienert also wants to restrict cigarette advertising, which can still be displayed outside kiosks or at events. “A ban would help significantly reduce the smoking rate.” The coalition agreement also agreed to ban tobacco industry sponsorship of events. (KNA)