German youngsters shun tobacco

The prevalence of smoking among young Germans dropped from 27.5 per cent in 2001 to 12.0 per cent last year, according to stories in The Local.de and the International Business Times quoting a study by the FederalCenter for Health Education.

The study found, too, that last year 71.7 per cent of young people – those aged between 12 and 17 – had never tried a cigarette, up from 40.5 per cent in 2001.

The average age at which youngsters start smoking rose from 13.6 years to 14.4 years during the same period.

Among the 18-to-25 years age-group, the percentage of smokers dropped from 44.5 per cent in 2001 to 35.2 per cent last year.