Smoking prohibited: health or freedom? Experts discuss!

Smoking prohibited: health or freedom? Experts discuss!

In the upcoming live discussion on Monday, July 7, 2025, from 8:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., everything revolves around a explosive topic: "Smoking-Health vs. Freedom". Moderated by Janine Albrecht, the round will be filled with renowned guests. Among them are Katrin Schaller from the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg, Dr. med. Jens Christian Becker, pulmonologist in Lübeck and Jan Mücke, general manager of the Federal Association of Tobacco Management and new products. ndr reports that the discussion takes place against the background of stricter smoking bans in countries like France, where smoking is on beaches, in parks and at schools is forbidden to protect children and adolescents.

An interesting number: 90 percent of the smokers start before the age of 18. Catherine Vautrin, the French Minister of Health, summed it up: "Smoking freedom ends where the right of the children begins in clean air." The WHO has heavily criticized Germany in this regard. The country is considered the bottom of the non-smoking protection in Europe and only fulfills the most necessary EU regulations. Advertising for tobacco products remains allowed, and the high density of cigarette machines does not exactly help to defuse the situation. The Robert Koch-Institut also reports that the different regulations in the federal states cause confusion.

Health risks from tobacco consumption

The health consequences of tobacco smoke are undisputed and alarming. According to estimates, around 143,000 people die from smoking in Germany annually. Smoking is considered an essential risk factor for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and of course different types of cancer. At the same time, passive smoking should not be underestimated because it increases the risk of lung cancer and COPD by about 40 percent. Children and pregnant women who can even endanger the development of the embryo are particularly at risk. Statista has estimated the disease costs of the passive smoke load at around 1.3 billion euros per year.

There are specific suggestions for the expansion of non -smoking protection. The German Cancer Research Center calls for a ban on smoking in public to reduce the visibility of smokers and to take smoking from the normality. The restriction of advertising and sales outlets could also help to reduce tobacco consumption and to protect younger generations.

call for expression of opinion

The upcoming discussion is intended to encourage citizens to express their opinion on current non -smoking protection in Germany and to discuss possible changes. The transfer of the ARD show will be heard both in the live stream and on various radio stations. Everyone is invited to actively participate in this important topic and to raise their voice. Because there is something: the health of our society is in danger, and the decisions we make today will influence the coming generations.