More than one in ten deaths in Saxony due to smoking

More than one in ten deaths in Saxony can be attributed to smoking, according to the new Tobacco Atlas published by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). At 16.6 percent, the proportion of all male deaths in the state in 2023 is in the middle of the pack compared to other federal states. It is highest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at 19.0 percent, compared to the German average of 17.5 percent.

According to the data, Saxony had the lowest proportion of women among the federal states with 6.9 percent. It was highest in Bremen at 13.2 percent, while the national average was 10.0 percent. According to a spokesperson from the DKFZ in Heidelberg, the calculations are based on the cause of death statistics from the Federal Statistical Office.

Cancer Prevention Week with "Facts against steam and smoke"

The tobacco atlas states that the significant regional differences reflect current and past smoking behavior in the federal states to a certain extent. It also shows the development of smoking among men and women over the past decades: while the number of tobacco-related deaths among women is still rising continuously, it is falling among men.

The DKFZ, German Cancer Aid and the German Cancer Society are using this year's National Cancer Prevention Week to raise awareness with "Facts against vapor and smoke". Among other things, interviews with experts are available as podcasts on the website www.krebspraeventionswoche.de. Information can also be found under the hashtag #FaktenUnvernebelt on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn.