The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Aid have published the Tobacco Atlas Germany 2025, which provides up-to-date data on tobacco consumption and its consequences at the start of National Cancer Prevention Week. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Health and German Cancer Aid, the atlas shows that smoking was responsible for around 88,000 new cancer cases in 2022 and about 131,000 deaths in 2023, accounting for 13.7 percent of all deaths. Smoking remains the most important preventable cancer risk factor, as it causes nearly 20 percent of cancer cases.

Regional differences in smoking behaviour are clear: more smoking is done in eastern and northern federal states than in the west and south. Smoking rates are particularly high in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bremen and Berlin, while Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria have the lowest values. Smoking behaviour is highly dependent on the level of education: people with a low socioeconomic status smoke more frequently in all age groups. More than one in four adults in Germany smokes, with the proportion being higher among men (26.4 percent) than among women (18.6 percent).

Young people are showing a trend towards e-cigarettes: About eight percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 15 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds use them regularly, often disposable vapes with fruity flavors. These products have a high addictive potential and health risks from nicotine. The atlas emphasizes the need for targeted prevention measures, especially for young people and socially disadvantaged groups, as well as stricter regulations for e-cigarettes.

In addition to health damage, tobacco consumption also causes environmental problems: cigarette butts are the most common waste on beaches, and their toxins damage flora and fauna. Global tobacco production also generates about 83 million tons of CO2 equivalents. The Tobacco Atlas calls for increased political measures, such as higher tobacco taxes and advertising bans, to reduce consumption. One goal is to make Germany almost smoke-free by 2040, with a smoking rate of less than five percent.

The Tobacco Atlas is available as a PDF at www.dkfz.de. For more information, visit the National Cancer Prevention Week (www.krebspraeventionswoche.de) website.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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