The impact of smoking on mortality in the face of population ageing: the example of Germany

ConclusionsResults indicate that past decreases in SAM due to declines in smoking were largely compensated by population ageing. In the next two decades, current smoking trends and population ageing will lead to a steady increase in SAM. Only by taking determined immediate policy action could significant inroads into reducing the smoking-associated disease burden be achieved. Also, given still significant smoking rates in middle and old age, there is tremendous potential to curb the associated public health burden by intensifying cessation programs.Key messagesContrary to common expectations among policymakers, the smoking-attributable public health burden will strongly increase in the next decades in Germany.Determined immediate policy action is required to halt or attenuate these trends.
Source: The European Journal of Public Health - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research