The majority of Germans are in favour of a complete ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising, according to the German Press Agency (Deutsche Presse-Agentur), Zeit online reported.

According to a survey by the German Insurance Association conducted by the Forsa Institute, 69 per cent of Germans are in favour of a complete ban on tobacco advertising. Out of 1,003 respondents, only 27 per cent were opposed to a ban on tobacco ads. In comparison, banning alcohol advertising was supported by 58 per cent and rejected by 36 percent, the report said. In addition, higher taxation on tobacco products would also be supported.
The debate about a ban on tobacco advertising on billboards had recently been revived. The politicians of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) agreed that the existing restrictions should also be extended to outdoor advertising. But it is not about a blanket ban. In the previous election period, an attempt had failed due to opposition from the CDU/CSU. The cabinet approved a draft in 2016, but it never became a law.
Tobacco advertising is already banned in Germany on radio and television as well as in newspapers and magazines. Official figures from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) in 2017 showed that 22.4 per cent of German citizens smoke regularly or occasionally.