On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day this Sunday, politicians from both the CDU and SPD advocated for higher prices for cigarettes and vapes. Hendrik Streeck, the federal government’s drug commissioner (CDU), told the “Rheinische Post” that the price of these products must “increase noticeably”. Streeck argued that higher costs deter young people from starting to smoke and aid current smokers in quitting. He dismissed the argument that a significant increase in tobacco tax would lead to lower revenues, stating that refusing a clear rise in tobacco taxation based on potential income loss is “cynical”. According to Streeck, this should not be viewed as a loss of state revenue, but rather as a health policy success that needs to be achieved.
Christos Pantazis, the health policy representative for the SPD faction, echoed this sentiment, asserting that higher prices and consistent tobacco taxation can demonstrably prevent young people specifically from starting to smoke. Pantazis stressed the importance of an honest discussion about the cost of tobacco and nicotine products. He underlined that the focus must not be on generating additional state income, but rather on reducing addiction diseases, lowering cancer rates, and extending healthy life years.
Simone Borchardt, the health policy spokesperson for the CDU faction, addressed the “Rheinische Post” by stating that the financing aspect needs open discussion. She warned that if tobacco taxes and levies on nicotine products are raised, the money “cannot simply disappear into the general federal budget”. Following the principle of ‘polluter pays,’ she insisted that an “appropriate part” must benefit the health fund, since the eventual costs of smoking are borne by insured individuals, employers, and the entire healthcare system.
