Over 750,000 German Children Exposed to Car Smoke; Calls Grow for Smoking Ban with Minors Present

Approximately 750,000 children and adolescents in Germany are regularly exposed to passive cigarette smoke inside cars, according to recent findings by the DAK health insurance provider. The data comes from a survey conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 involving over 26,500 schoolchildren aged 9 to 17 across 14 federal states. The survey revealed that 10.9% of the children often or very often ride in vehicles where smoking takes place, while about 36% reported occasional exposure to tobacco smoke in cars.

DAK CEO Andreas Storm emphasized the urgent health risks posed by this exposure, especially given children’s heightened vulnerability to the harmful effects of passive smoking. Professor Reiner Hanewinkel, overseeing DAK’s health studies, highlighted the increased likelihood of respiratory infections and asthma among children exposed to tobacco smoke. The survey also indicated disparities based on social status, with children from lower socio-economic backgrounds more frequently exposed to smoking in vehicles. Additionally, those exposed passively in cars were more likely to use nicotine products themselves.

Health Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Kerstin von der Decken, supports DAK’s call to introduce a smoking ban in cars when minors are present. Such bans are already in place in several European countries, reflecting the growing recognition of the need to protect children from tobacco smoke, particularly in enclosed spaces like vehicles.

DAK, insuring 5.4 million people in Germany, is pushing for legislation to expand bans on smoking in cars to safeguard child and adolescent health. This move seeks to reduce avoidable health risks and protect young passengers from high levels of passive smoke exposure which remain a serious public health concern in Germany.

As the debate unfolds, health authorities continue to advocate stricter regulations and public awareness to reduce children's exposure to smoking in private vehicles, aiming to align Germany with neighboring European nations that have already acted.