Smoking rates are rising in Luxemburg

A survey organised by TNS Ilres has recently shed light on the smoking rate in Luxemburg which rose from 20 to 21% between 2016 and 2017.

These new figures are worrying to the Luxemburg Cancer Foundation, especially as the number of vaping enthusiasts has been stagnating since 2013. However, the study also highlighted some encouraging trends. It seems the proportion of smokers aged 18 to 24 fell from 26 to 22% in a year. Interestingly, it seems women are more likely to smoke in this age range compared to their male counterparts. Hookah smoking may also become a public health issue in coming years, with over 25% of younger populations being regular patrons at hookah bars.

Luxemburg’s 25-34 range has the highest proportion of smokers, a particularly alarming figure for the Cancer Foundation. This is the age at which families are established. With this in mind, children of smokers are more likely to try out cigarettes in their teens. Also, they are more likely to be exposed to second-hand smoking, known to be bad for health.

The Cancer Foundation wants to raise cigarette prices

The survey indicated that 55% of smokers wanted to quit smoking tobacco. The strategy most applied is to taper off, reducing consumption gradually. Unfortunately, these attempts rarely lead to full cessation. The foundation also highlighted the fact that the health risks associated with smoking were more a result of the number of smoking years, rather than the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Unlike in neighbouring countries, in Luxembourg electronic cigarettes are not very popular. One key reason is hat since August 1st, 2017, vaping has been banned in public spaces. And this despite the fact that vaping is known to be much less harmful to health.

The Cancer Foundation is demanding that the Luxemburg government commit to more effective, proven anti-smoking polocies. According to the association, cigarette must be raised to discourage younger people from smoking. Currently, in Luxemburg, a pack of 20 cigarettes will put you back 5,65 euros.