Germany: Organizations call for stronger anti-smoking measures to protect women

December 17, 2021

Par: National Committee Against Smoking

Dernière mise à jour: December 17, 2021

Temps de lecture: 5 minutes

As part of the 19th German Tobacco Control Conference, 23 health, development and tobacco control organizations have published a report[1] on the topic of women's rights and tobacco control. In this document, various authors examine the links between women's rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, and tobacco control and call on Germany to strengthen its tobacco control measures.

Tobacco cultivation and consumption are linked to numerous violations of women's rights and go against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Health and human rights actors emphasize that it is the responsibility of States to respect and protect women's rights as recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Women, the tobacco industry's preferred targets

Women traditionally consume less tobacco than men, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, because the social norm has not yet developed. However, due to a combination of factors: targeted industry marketing, continued population growth in low- and middle-income countries, and changing gender norms, the increase in female tobacco consumption could be significant without immediate action.

Globally, 5.51 TYP3T of women aged 15 and over use tobacco products, with large regional disparities (17.51 TYP3T in Europe, 101 TYP3T in the Americas, compared to 0.91 TYP3T in Southeast Asia or 1.41 TYP3T in Africa). In Germany, 231 TYP3T of women over the age of 15 smoke, and the number of female deaths due to tobacco use increased from 43,000 in 2007 to 50,000 in 2017. Despite the major health consequences, Germany lacks key tobacco control measures such as significant increases in tobacco taxes, comprehensive smoke-free legislation, and a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.

Women remain the main victims of passive smoking

Although exposure to secondhand smoke has declined due to widespread international smoking bans, one-third of women worldwide remain exposed to secondhand smoke, compared to 201,000 men. Mortality associated with secondhand smoke is significantly higher among the latter: nearly 600,000 women die each year from secondhand smoke-related deaths, more than double the number of men.

Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke also pose particular risks to women. It promotes the development of breast and cervical cancer, reduces fertility, and leads to complications during pregnancy. Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy can also harm the unborn child. In Germany, 20% of young women aged 18 to 29 are exposed to secondhand smoke daily.[2]Germany does not have comprehensive federal smoking ban legislation, but refers to differentiated legislation in its 16 federal states. There are various types of exemptions and loopholes, resulting in unequal levels of protection against exposure to secondhand smoke.

Including women's rights in the global fight against tobacco

Germany is lagging behind in tobacco control and, more than 15 years after ratifying the WHO Framework Convention, it still does not have a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. Also, to effectively and sustainably reduce the consumption of tobacco products, health organizations insist on the country's obligation to implement the provisions of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, whose preamble refers to CEDAW, in their entirety. The report emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all tobacco control measures reach particularly affected and disadvantaged groups such as women with a lower socio-economic status. The percentage of smokers among women without a diploma is almost 48% (compared to 19% of women with a diploma) in Germany[3].

This approach is part of a movement. In May 2021, more than 50 German public health and civil society organizations published the "Strategy for a Tobacco-Free Germany 2040."[4]This was a call for the government to implement tobacco control measures that aim for a tobacco-free generation by 2040.[5].

[1] Sonja von Eichborn, Katrin Schaller, Sabina Ulbricht, Caroline Renzulli, Mary Clare Rosemeyer, Debra Rosen, Mark Hurley, Farida Akhter, Brenda Chitindi, Viola Dannenmaier, Frauenrechte und Tabakkontrolle: Das Recht auf eine tabakfree Welt, Unfairtobacco, December 2021 [2] DKFZ 2020: Tabakatlas Deutschland 2020. [3] DKFZ 2020: Tabakatlas Deutschland 2020. [4] Strategy for a tobacco-free Germany 2040, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ, May 31, 2021, accessed December 16, 2021 [5] Tobacco Free Generation, Germany: The challenge of a generation without tobacco and nicotine by 2040, September 17, 2021, accessed December 16, 2021 National Committee Against Smoking |