The objective of the 2022-2028 interfederal strategy for a tobacco-free generation was however clear: “By 2028, the objective is to achieve a daily consumer rate of tobacco products of 10 % and a daily consumer rate of tobacco products of 6 % among the age group 15-24 year olds“. Unfortunately, this will be complicated. However, many measures have been put in place: ban on exposure of tobacco product packages at points of sale, ban on tobacco consumption in certain outdoor places, etc.
How many Belgians smoke?
Daily smokers now represent 12.8% of the population (against 15.4% in 2018). The trend is to decrease as years of smoking in Belgium. But is this due to anti-tabac policies? Possible. In any case, the study by Sciensano reveals that the political objective on the subject can, no more than probably, not be achieved. “”Positive developments bear witness to a certain effectiveness of anti-tabacting policies implemented since 2006. However, the decrease in smoking slows down to the period from 2008 to 2018, compromising the achievement of the objective set in the interfedérale strategy, which provides less than 10% of smokers by 2028“Explain Lydia Gisle and Stefaan Derest, who published the study on this theme.
Regarding young people, same observation. 14.8% of 15-24 year olds smoke (15.4% in 2018), but its daily use is less frequent: 7.7% smoke tobacco daily (11% in 2018) and 7.1% occasionally, against 4.4% in 2018.
This objective, which we would have dreamed of being achieved, will probably fail. But everything is not lost, there is still hope, especially by more targeting certain groups of people. “”Efforts will have to be undertaken to strengthen prevention in young people, improve access to withdrawal which is a long process for the most dependent smokers from the most disadvantaged environments, and fight against social and regional inequalities by adapting the measures to the specificities of regions and vulnerable audiences.”
A tobacco -free generation, really?
The level of education plays a lot …
Whether regarding classic or electronic cigarettes, the observation is the same: it is especially people with lower levels of study that are more “smokers“. “We observe a social cleavage as to the daily use of tobacco: people with at most a secondary education diploma are proportionally smoking every day (18.2%- 18.3%) than those with a higher education diploma (8.0%).”
So how to touch this audience more specifically? We hope that the government and the players in the sector have the answer (or at least elements to achieve it). One thing is certain, leaving part of the population on the tile because of their level of education remains a failure, which should not be overlooked.
