Berlin, Germany – In a joint call, the German Green and Left parties have urged the government to increase tobacco taxation, expand smoking bans and enforce advertising bans more strictly.
According to Janosch Dahmen, the Green party’s health policy spokesperson, raising prices is an effective way to particularly deter young people from smoking. The resulting increased revenue should be invested in the healthcare system, he added. The Greens also demand a complete ban on tobacco advertising and the expansion of smoking bans, particularly in areas frequented by children and the young, such as parks, playgrounds and school entrances.
Ates Gürpinar, the Left party’s drug policy spokesperson, emphasized that Germany is lagging behind in tobacco policy, with few effective countermeasures in place. The party wants to see a full ban on tobacco advertising, restrictions on availability, higher prices and uniform packaging, in line with the World Health Organization’s recent recommendations.