Germany's Federal Drug Commissioner to Crack Down on Smoking

Jun.03.2024

Germany's federal drug commissioner, Burkhard Blienert, vows to crack down on smoking advertising to combat tobacco-related deaths and economic losses.

According to Finanz Nachrichten on May 30th, Burkhard Blienert, the Federal Drug Commissioner of Germany, recently stated that efforts to combat smoking issues will continue. Blienert emphasized that advertising is one of the primary factors that contribute to people continuing to smoke, and therefore unrestricted advertising of tobacco and e-cigarettes must be restricted.

He said that despite seeing fewer and fewer young people smoking, Germany still faces significant challenges. It is known that tobacco and nicotine consumption in Germany leads to an annual death toll of as high as 127,000, causing economic losses as high as 100 billion euros.

The commissioner advocates for studying the serious discussions on smoking issues in other countries. He listed some effective policies, such as a total ban on advertising, withdrawing sponsorship from tobacco companies, strengthening smoking cessation support, increasing tobacco taxes, and providing stricter protection for non-smokers, especially children exposed to secondhand smoke.

Blinnett publicly stated his opposition to disposable e-cigarettes, recommending an immediate nationwide ban on these products rather than waiting for potential future regulations in Europe.

References:

[1] Bundesdrogenbeauftragter fordert schärfere Maßnahmen gegen Tabakwerbung

Also Read:

[1] Decrease in Smoking Rates Among German Youth: Report

[2] German Ministry for Environment Urges Handling of Disposables

[3] Germany Uncovers Massive E-cigarette Smuggling Operation with over 400,000 Units

[4] German E-Cigarette Industry Association Denies Accusation of Targeting Children by WHO

[5] German Customs Seizes Illegal E-Cigs and Tobacco Products Worth over 71,000 Euros

#Europe #Disposable e-cigarettes #Regulation #Germany

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