More than 127,000 people die every year in Germany as a result of tobacco consumption. Thuringia's Health Minister Werner warns that smoking a cigarette is not socially acceptable, but deadly.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - More than three quarters of Thuringians are non-smokers. Last year, on average, 76.5 percent of people aged 15 and over said they did not smoke, the State Statistical Office said on Monday in the run-up to World No Tobacco Day on May 31. That is 4.1 percentage points more than almost 30 years before. Three out of ten non-smokers last year would have used the fags earlier. In addition, women smoked less often than men. The proportion of non-smokers was 81.3 percent, that of male non-smokers 71.5 percent.
With a smoking proportion of the population of 23.5 percent, Thuringia was well above the national average of 18.9 percent in 2021. Viewed by age group, in Thuringia those over 65 smoked the least often. According to the statistics, only one in ten of them smoked a cigarette. In contrast, the proportion of smokers in the age group of 25 to under 45 year olds was 34.8 percent - less than two thirds of them were non-smokers.
In Thuringia, men start smoking at an average age of 17.4 years and women at 18.3 years. Compared to 1992, the entry age has fallen by 1.3 years, it said.
Thuringia's Health Minister Heike Werner (left) said that children and young people in particular must be protected from the risks of consumption. Reaching for a cigarette is not socially acceptable, but extremely risky. Heavy smokers reduced their life expectancy by an average of ten years. In addition to the risk of developing lung cancer, smoking also increases the risk of other types of cancer. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, more than 127,000 people die every year in Germany as a result of tobacco consumption.
According to a projection based on the number of insured persons in Thuringia, the KKH commercial health insurance company has observed an increase in tobacco addicts. According to this, in the first Corona year 2020, around 130,000 people in the Free State were treated for tobacco addiction, withdrawal symptoms, an acute tobacco intoxication or psychological problems due to tobacco. Compared to 2010, this is an increase of 140.5 percent. In a comparison of the federal states, Thuringia is at the top and well above the national average of around 73 percent. According to its own information, the KKH has around 43,600 insured persons in Thuringia.
