Actually, the fag has lost its coolness in the last few decades. Fewer and fewer people, especially young people, smoked cigarettes. At the turn of the millennium, almost every fourth minor smoked, recently it was only ten percent. Now the downtrend is undergoing an abrupt reversal. According to new data from the German survey on smoking behavior (DEBRA), the proportion of tobacco smokers among 14 to 17 year olds has almost doubled within this year: from 8.7 percent to 15.9 percent.
According to DEBRA, more than 400,000 minors smoke cigarettes in Germany, although minors are not allowed to buy cigarettes in Germany. With around 2000 study participants, the survey is one of the most extensive studies in Germany and is carried out every two months.
“It’s frightening,” said Daniel Kotz, head of the DEBRA study, to “Spiegel”. The proportion of smokers has increased across Germany in all age groups. “It’s especially strong with the youngsters. At this age, the brain is still developing. If it is then fixed with nicotine, the risk of addiction for life is extremely high.”
Other age groups are also smoking more frequently again: from 36 to almost 41 percent among 18 to 24 year olds. Overall, according to the DEBRA study, the proportion of smokers in the at least 14-year-old population in Germany has risen from 26.6 to 35.5 percent since 2020.
Numbers that are worrying. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach agrees. “These study results are a very big cause for concern,” the politician also told the “Spiegel”. This data will now be analyzed in detail. “And then we have to think about measures for better protection of minors. Smoking is a big risk for young people and we have to prevent them from starting in the first place.”
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