The German TV program WDR Westpol broadcasted a very interesting story on the power of the tobacco lobby, how they influence politics to inhibit laws against tobacco advertisement in German public places. The video is partly based on our recent study on the high prevalence of tobacco use in Germany.
The Deutsches Ärzteblatt International published our first major paper on the use of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and methods to quit smoking in Germany. Several media reported this (in German):
SPIEGEL: “Rauchen tötet – vor allem einen Teil unserer Gesellschaft”
Süddeutsche Zeitung: “Rauchen in Deutschland: Alte Laster, neue Versuchungen”
Berliner Morgenpost: “Politik nimmt neuen Anlauf für Tabak-Werbeverbot”
Welt: “Nichtraucherland Deutschland? Von wegen”
Express: “Die Deutschen und der Glimmstängel Erschreckende Raucher-Studie veröffentlicht”
During the 24th Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT), Feb 21st to 24th in Baltimore, USA, Dr. Melanie Böckmann presented a poster on German public support for stricter tobacco control policies in Germany with data from DEBRA Wave 2.
The German newspaper Rheinische Post interviewed Prof. Daniel Kotz and Dr. Sabrina Kastaun about the first data from the DEBRA study on the use of tobacco in Germany. Read the full article here (in German).
The German news website SPIEGEL online published an article based on the first DEBRA data on public support for a smoking ban in cars when children are present. Read the full article here (in German).
The protocol of the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA) is now available open access in BMC Public Health (DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4328-2).
Background
The prevalence of tobacco smoking in Germany is high (~27%). Monitoring of national patterns of smoking behaviour and data on the “real-world” effectiveness of cessation methods are needed to inform policies and develop campaigns aimed at reducing tobacco-related harm. In England, the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS) has been tracking such indicators since 2006, resulting in the adaptation of tobacco control policies. However, findings cannot be directly transferred into the German health policy context. The German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA: “Deutsche Befragung zum Rauchverhalten”) aims to provide such nationally representative data.
Methods/Design
In June 2016, the study started collecting data from computer-assisted, face-to-face household interviews in people aged 14 years and older. Over a period of 3 years, a total of ~36,000 respondents will complete the survey with a new sample of ~2000 respondents every 2 months (=18 waves). This sample will report data on demographics and the use of tobacco and electronic (e-)cigarettes. Per wave, about 500–600 people are expected to be current or recent ex-smokers (<12 months since quitting). This sample will answer detailed questions about smoking behaviour, quit attempts, exposure to health professionals’ advice on quitting, and use of cessation aids. Six-month follow-up data will be collected by telephone.
Discussion
The DEBRA study will be an important source of data for tobacco control policies, health strategies, and future research. The methodology is closely aligned to the STS, which will allow comparisons with data from England, a country with one of the lowest smoking prevalence rates in Europe (18%).
Trial registration
This study has been registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00011322) on 25th November 2016.
During the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) in Florence, 8-11 March 2017, Dr. Sabrina Kastaun had a poster presentation on the study protocol of the DEBRA study, including preliminary results from the first 3 waves (June-November 2016) on current prevalence rates of tobacco and e-cigarette use in Germany (N=6,169 respondents).
At current, 28% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 27% – 29%) of the German population (age 14+) smoke tobacco. Regarding the use of e-cigarettes in the German population, 1.6% (95% CI =1.3% – 2.0%) are current users, 1.2% ex-users (have used them regularly, but do not longer; 95% CI = 1.0% – 1.5%), and 6.5% are experimental-users (have tried them previously, but do not longer; 95% CI = 6.0% – 7.0%).
