Hendrik Streeck, the Federal Government’s Drug Commissioner from the CDU, has strongly criticized the lobbying groups representing the tobacco industry, alleging severe campaign tactics against him. Streeck told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” during the mid-week edition, stating, “I have the impression that representatives of the tobacco lobby are literally targeting me. They want to wear me down.”
He detailed that in recent weeks, responsible individuals from these lobby groups had aggressively engaged with him at summer parties in Berlin. He described feeling “stalked,” noting, “Someone literally pursued me and photographed my discussion partners.” Subsequently, these people approached the lobbyists to discredit him, claiming he merely spoke nonsense, that his arguments were absurd, and that he was unwilling to talk. Streeck stressed, “It is just unbelievable what pressure the tobacco lobby exerts on members of the Bundestag. This is like stalking.”
Simultaneously, however, Streeck accused his own coalition of not being assertive enough against the tobacco industry and smoking in general. He pointed out that initiatives, such as Health Minister Alois Rainer’s (CSU) proposal to ban about a dozen health-hazardous additives in e-cigarettes and vapes, were facing “significant resistance, unfortunately also from within the coalition.” Streeck appealed to parliament members and the Federal Cabinet to heed the advice of health experts rather than giving in to the tobacco lobbyists, emphasizing that the issue was about no less than protecting children and young people.
He also expressed strong displeasure regarding the government’s announced inclusion of a planned tax on nicotine pouches in the tobacco tax draft law, should the EU mandate it. As the Drug Commissioner, he urgently warned against letting the prospect of increased tax revenue cloud judgment and lead to the legalization of nicotine pouches. He insisted this clause must be removed from the legislative process, arguing, “We are dealing here with a product that is highly addictive.” Instead of focusing on revenue, he argued that the government should fulfill the demand recently raised by the states’ health ministers: banning nicotine pouches generally in Germany. Currently, possession and consumption are permitted, while only the sale is illegal.
