Germany considers France-inspired smoking ban to protect youth
Germany is contemplating following France's lead by enacting a ban on smoking in public places. Politicians from the SPD and the Green Party have expressed a clear intent: children require superior protection – including from e-cigarettes. The federal government is calling on the federal states to strengthen the law, reports Die Welt.
In France, from July 2025, a ban on smoking cigarettes will come into effect in parks, on beaches, at bus stops, on sports fields, and outside schools. Inspired by this approach, German politicians from the SPD and the Green Party propose comparable measures in Germany – the aim is to provide better protection for children and young people from tobacco smoke and passive smoking.
"France is sending a clear signal – it's about public health and protecting the youngest. We need the same in Germany," said Dagmar Schmidt, the SPD's deputy leader in the Bundestag. She added that children at bus stops or playgrounds breathe the same smoke-laden air as adults, and their bodies are more vulnerable, reports Die Welt.
Politicians want a ban
Janosch Dahmen from the Green Party shares this perspective. "If we want to protect children, we must make their environment smoke-free," he stated. However, he believes that smoking bans alone are insufficient. Germany should also mirror France’s stringent regulations: outlawing sales outside specialised outlets, increasing excise taxes, and implementing a complete ban on tobacco product advertising.
Meanwhile, Germany's health minister, Nina Warken (CDU), has urged the federal states to include e-cigarettes and vape devices in the ban. "These products are more dangerous than many realise. Their aerosols contain harmful substances and often serve as a gateway to addiction," she emphasised.
The federal government has already imposed restrictions on the use of such products at stations and on trains, but the responsibility for regulations in schools, restaurants, and hospitals lies with the federal states – they should tighten these regulations.
The call for tighter anti-smoking regulations is gaining momentum not coincidentally – it aligns with World No Tobacco Day (31 May). As Dahmen notes, the discussion involves not only health-related concerns but also economic ones – smoking-related diseases cost German health insurers over 30 billion euros annually.
