Germany: Prohibit smoking throughout the state

On December 13, the German Cabinet approved a decision to ban smoking at work and on public transport throughout Germany.

74% of young German respondents supported the federal smoking ban.( Photo: TP)

Speaking after a meeting with 16 state chiefs, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that by March 2007, representatives of the states would jointly draft a smoke-free bill based on common rules and avoid overlapping rules. between states.

General regulations prohibit smoking at public offices like in federal ministries, departments and branches; airports and stations . at the same time, people under 18 will not be allowed to buy cigarettes.

In 2005, about 27% of the German population (22 million) smoked. This number is almost unchanged compared to 10 years ago. On average, about 3,000 Germans die each year from tobacco-related diseases and health insurance costs for smokers about 17 billion euros annually.

According to a poll, 74% of young German respondents supported the federal smoking ban. Since 2004, there have been a number of European countries that have banned smoking such as Malta, Ireland and Norway, after which many other countries have similar restrictions. Britain, France, Finland and Belgium also plan to ban smoking in public places in 2007.