Credit: www.maviesanstabac.lu / Fondation Cancer
The Fondation Cancer and Luxembourg’s Ministry of Health and Social Security presented the results of their joint annual ILRES survey on smoking prevalence in Luxembourg in 2023. This report highlights several trends regarding smoking habits in Luxembourg.
The five key points from the survey were as follows:
- a slight stagnation in smoking prevalence in the Grand Duchy, with the overall rate of smokers falling to 27% compared to 28% in 2023 (however, this 1% is not enough to confirm a lasting downward trend in smoking in the population);
- 27% of women reported smoking in 2023; since 2019, more and more women smoke and are now in balance with men although a difference was noted in daily smoking: 19% of men smoke every day, compared to 17% of women;
- shisha consumption has increased, with 22% of residents reporting consumption, marking an increasing trend for this type of tobacco - a notable prevalence was noted among sixteen to 24-year-olds;
- emphasised in the survey as the “most alarming” finding, vaping has seen a significant increase among young people under 25, where the electronic cigarette use rate jumped from 21% in 2022 to 36% in 2023;
- although passive smoking is decreasing slightly, 11% (13% in 2022) of non-smokers say they are exposed to tobacco smoke every day indoors, and 10% outdoors.
Tobacco is the leading risk factor for preventable cancer, and is a health priority for the Fondation Cancer. Fondation Cancer, together with 37 partners, continues to promote the tobacco-free generation strategy to enable today's children and youth to grow up in a tobacco-free environment, in order to become the first generation of adults tobacco-free by 2040.
