Trends of Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption over 65 Years in Germany

Abstract

No estimation was available for tobacco and for alcohol consumption in Germany based on sales data that were provided for public use and suited for time trend analysis. To estimate trends of tobacco and alcohol consumption rates for the years 1950-2014. Data on tobacco and alcohol consumption in the nation were retrieved from reports made by producers of beer, wine, or spirits to the Federal Statistics Office of Germany. Time trends over the 65 years were calculated using the program Joinpoint. Tobacco consumption rose from 1950 to 1972. Thereafter it decreased, mostly by 1.2-6.9 percentage points per year. Alcohol consumption rose until the year 1974 and decreased thereafter by 1.0 percentage points annually until the end of the time period under analysis in 2014. The findings may be explained, among others, by changes of social norms according to smoking and alcohol consumption after tax increases, nonsmoker and youth protection laws, and legislative measures against driving under the influence of alcohol. A steepening of the decrease in tobacco consumption occurred after laws including tax increases had come into effect. However, the tobacco and alcohol consumption levels were still high at the end of the observation period in 2014.