Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security has reported that it is raising awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, held every year on 31 May.
The ministry, together with the Fondation Cancer, recently presented the latest statistics on smoking prevalence in Luxembourg. It is now turning its attention to alerting the public to the negative effects of active and passive smoking as well as addictive effects induced by new nicotine products.
Although the annual study carried out by ILRES on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Social Security and the Fondation Cancer shows a relatively stable smoking situation for the entire population over the last four years, it presents a “worrying” picture of smoking among young people, noted the ministry. One of the most alarming statistics presented related to the consumption of vaping products among sixteen- to 24-year-olds, which almost doubled between 2022 and 2023; more than one in three young people in Luxembourg vape.
This year, on World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is focusing on protecting young people from being targets of the tobacco industry. The Ministry of Health and Social Security reported it was joining the WHO in its awareness-raising action against aggressive marketing strategies that largely conceal the risks of dependence.
The ministry noted that pleasure and taste are the main reason why 54% of electronic cigarette consumers vape. “There is clearly a trend towards the trivialisation of vaping products and their danger to health. Furthermore, the emergence of new nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, have recently been the subject of numerous discussions within the various public health and government authorities. We are delighted that these products will soon be able to fall under the anti-tobacco law,” stated Martine Deprez, Luxembourg’s Minister of Health and Social Security.
Discussions around the next anti-tobacco programme are largely focused on tobacco prevention among young people - a theme widely covered by the Fondation Cancer, in its national tobacco-free generation strategy with which the minister said she wishes to be associated, added the ministry.
To facilitate access to all smokers wishing to quit, the Health Directorate is also working to improve and promote the tobacco cessation assistance programme, which is still relatively unknown among tobacco consumers. According to the ILRES study, one in two smokers are unaware of this programme. Established in 2008, in collaboration with the National Health Fund (CNS), it offers smokers support and monitoring of their cessation as well as flat-rate reimbursement of their drug treatments and replacement products.
Another important pillar of ongoing discussions in an anti-tobacco programme, according to the ministry, is raising awareness among smokers at work of the dangers of tobacco and promoting a smoke-free workplace. Awareness events will continue to be organised to present smoking cessation operations and encourage workers to quit smoking, through collective challenges.
An email address set up by the Health Directorate is also available for anyone wishing to stop smoking or wishing to obtain the necessary information to wean themselves from tobacco: prog-sevrage-tabagique@ms.etat.lu. Further information about the fight against smoking in Luxembourg is available online at sante.lu.
