Rauchen kann tödlich sein
smoking can be deadly, a label on cigarette packages and advertisements in Germany
One of the things I noticed when I moved here was how many more people smoke than in the U.S. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, in 2006 23.9% of American men and 18% of American women smoke.
According to the National German Telephone Health Survey in 2003, 37% of German men and 28% of German women smoke. I know the years are off, but that is still a huge difference.
Later this year, Switzerland will become the most recent addition to the club of European countries that have banned smoking in public places. In January of 2008 11 out of 16 German states imposed smoking bans in public places, but recently these states have been reconsidering the bans because they are harmful to businesses (read Der Spiegel article).
The most recent to reconsider the smoking bans was the state of Saxony, where I am living. The courts recently decided that the bans were unfair to single-room bars and businesses that did not have the space to separate the smokers from the non-smokers. Groups who lobbied against the ban claim that between 75 and 95% of their customers are smokers. Many other states in Germany are also reconsidering their smoking bans. This recent turn of events makes German businesses very happy, but makes non-smokers and German cancer-researchers less than thrilled.
Personally, I was happy to hear when the smoking ban came out. There is nothing worse than going to a bar or restaurant where you are surrounded by a cloud of smoke. My eyes water, I become allergic, and when I get home my hair and clothes stink. I don't know much about the negative health effects of secondhand smoke, but the fact that it is disgusting is enough for me. Lots of young people in Germany smoke socially, meaning that they smoke when they drink or go out to clubs. How many of these teens become addicted and continue to smoke?
While I am not a fan of taking away people's freedoms, and don't think that smoking should be illegal, I do think that smoking in bars and restaurants without sections takes away my freedom to go to a restaurant and bar without becoming ill and stinky.
Here are some statistics about smoking from the World Health Organization in 2002. I don't know how accurate these statistics are, but it sounds like there are plenty of good reasons to quit and not very many good ones to keep smoking.
- About a third of the male adult global population smokes.
- Every eight seconds, someone dies from tobacco use.
- About 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily - or 10 million every minute.
- Evidence shows that around 50% of those who start smoking in adolescent years go on to smoke for 15 to 20 years.
- At least a quarter of all deaths from heart diseases and about three-quarters of world's chronic bronchitis are related to smoking.
- Half of long-term smokers will die from tobacco.
- Every cigarette smoked cuts at least five minutes of life on average - about the time taken to smoke it.