UN Committee Calls on Germany to Better Protect Children from Tobacco

October 20, 2022

Par: National Committee Against Smoking

Dernière mise à jour: October 20, 2022

Temps de lecture: 5 minutes

Le Comité des Nations unies demande à l’Allemagne de mieux protéger les enfants du tabac

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Committee has issued recommendations[1] to the German Government to protect children from violations of their rights by the tobacco industry. The Committee recommends that Germany improve education on the health risks of smoking and second-hand smoke, better regulate the sale of tobacco to children, and hold tobacco manufacturers accountable for violations of children's rights in supply chains.

These recommendations are the result of the ongoing reporting process on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires parties to the treaty to report on their implementation of the treaty's provisions to respect, protect and fulfil children's rights.

This convention on the rights of the child is binding on Germany, as is the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which aims to guarantee the right to health for all, especially children and adolescents.

Committee's concerns about obligation to protect children from smoking

In its conclusions, the Committee notes several concerns in the area of protection of children's health in relation to active or passive tobacco consumption. The Committee is particularly concerned about the large number of children, especially those in socio-economically disadvantaged situations, who are exposed to second-hand smoke in Germany.

In this perspective, recalling its general comment No. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the German Government undertake awareness-raising activities for parents, including pregnant mothers, on the harmful effects of passive smoking on children's health. The Committee also stresses the importance of regulating the marketing of tobacco to children and of continuing to strengthen measures to provide children and adolescents with information on the prevention of addictions, including tobacco and alcohol, and to ensure early detection and appropriate referral of adolescents requiring treatment for such addictions.

The Committee also issued a recommendation on child labour in supply chains. It specifically highlighted the legal responsibility of commercial enterprises and their subsidiaries operating in or managed from the State party's territory, with regard to international and national standards on human rights, labour and the environment. It is estimated that 1.3 million children work in tobacco production, particularly in tobacco farming worldwide.[2].

Germany's significant delays in tobacco control

Germany ranks last in the European ranking of tobacco control policies covering 36 countries on the continent: no other European country is doing less to reduce tobacco consumption and implement the proven measures of the WHO Framework Convention. These delays are reflected in a high smoking prevalence, with more than one in five Germans aged 18 and over smoking (23% of the population). Significant differences can be observed between the different Länder (21% in Saarland and 28% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Smoking causes 85,000 cancer cases and 127,000 deaths in Germany each year.[3].

In May 2021, more than 50 public health and civil society organizations published a “ Strategy for a tobacco-free Germany 2040 » – a call on the German government to develop a plan with a concrete timetable for implementing tobacco control measures such as increasing tobacco taxes, introducing plain packaging, a complete ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and provisions to help smokers quit. One of the main obstacles to progress in tobacco control in Germany remains the influence of the tobacco industry in shaping public policy.

Keywords: Germany, UN, Committee on the Rights of the Child, passive smoking,

©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1] Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on the combined fifth to sixth periodic reports of Germany, CRC/C/DEU/CO/5-6, published on 23 September 2022, consulted on 18 October 2022 [2] Generation without tobacco, The tobacco industry: an obstacle to the elimination of child labor, published June 21, 2021, accessed October 18, 2022 [3] Generation without tobacco, Germany: The challenge of a generation without tobacco and nicotine by 2040, published on September 17, 2021, consulted on October 18, 2022 National Committee Against Smoking |

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