Smoking behaviour and passive smoke exposure of adults - Results from GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS

Background

Smoking is a significant health risk and the leading cause of premature death. Passive smoke causes the same negative effects on health as smoking, albeit to a lesser extent. The reduction of tobacco consumption and the protection against passive smoke are thus important health objectives.

Methods

The study German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS) is a cross-sectional telephone survey (04/2019 to 09/2020) of the resident population in Germany with questions relating to the current smoking behaviour and relating to the passive smoke exposure. The analysis sample comprises 22,708 persons from 18 years of age.

Results

24.0% of women and 33.9% of men from 18 years of age smoke currently, at least occasionally. Among both sexes, adults from 65 years of age smoke significantly more rarely than adults in the younger age groups. 4.1% of adults, who do not smoke themselves, are subjected daily to passive smoke exposure indoors. This affects in particular young adults and men. There are educational differences in tobacco consumption and in passive smoke exposure to the disadvantage of adults from lower educational groups.

Conclusions

In Germany, there is still a need for action for effective measures for tobacco prevention, smoking cessation and tobacco control policy, which are effective in all population groups and which take into account the concerns of socially disadvantaged groups.

Adult exposure to passive smoking in Germany

Passive smoking is associated with the same consequences for health as smoking, albeit to a lesser extent. Various legislative measures have been put in place in Germany to lower exposure to passive smoking. According to data from GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS, 11.3% of non-smoking adults are regularly exposed to passive smoking in enclosed spaces, this is particularly the case with young adults. Non-smoking women who are regularly exposed to passive smoking usually come into contact with passive smoking when they are together with friends and acquaintances (51.2%). Non-smoking men most frequently face passive smoking in the work place (56.1%). People with a high level of education are much less frequently exposed to passive smoking than those with medium to lower levels of education. Action still needs to be taken to protect people against the dangers linked to passive smoking.