Cigarette advertising: new bans in Germany

When it comes to tobacco advertising, Germany was lagging behind, as it was the last country in the European Union to authorise it through outdoor displays and cinema advertising. New measures will finally be put in place to protect the health of the population.

Doctors' alert

A first attempt at a similar project failed in 2016 due to opposition from the country's conservative bloc, but the latter revised its position in late 2019. Until now, cigarette advertising was banned in German media. The new legislation, which has just been approved by the German upper house, follows warnings from doctors who had expressed concern about the appeal that tobacco could have on young people and adolescents through cinema advertising and street posters.

Advertising banned on streets and in cinemas

Parliament has just announced that street posters that constitute a form of cigarette advertising will be banned from 2022. The new legislation also stipulates that from January 2021, advertising for tobacco products, broadcast before films, where children and young people may be present, is prohibited.

The planned bans will be extended to include e-cigarettes from 2024. In addition, the distribution of free cigarettes at events or competitions will be prohibited from the beginning of 2021. Julia Kloeckner, the minister responsible for consumer protection, told the DPA news agency that "health protection must be the top priority here."

Germany going against the tide?

The delay in legislation contrasts sharply with policies already in place in Europe, particularly in France and Britain, where plain packaging is mandatory and advertising has long been banned. But according to official figures, the tobacco industry in Germany spends around 100 million euros a year on advertising in cinemas and on the streets.