RENDEZ-VOUS 29
Friday, May 7 , 1999
Martina Pötshke-Langer is Head of the Executive Office for Cancer Prevention German Cancer Research Center
Thank you Martina for accepting our « rendez-vous ». May I ask you to introduce yourself ?
Martina: I am a medical graduate from Heidelberg University in Germany and M.A. a degree at the Philosophic Faculty of Heidelberg University where I was studying medicine as well as German literature and history. Initially I was working as a physician at the university hospital with daily 100 patients with chronically diseases caused by smoking, hypertension and overweight.
I got the impression that preventive medicine is the most deficient element of the high developed medical system at the end of our century in Europe. From 1985 to 1992, I was the coordinator for German high blood pressure education program educating patients in public seminars in preventive medicine and developing school programs for healthy lifestyle. In 1992 I changed to the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center ) where I continued my work with seminars, special days for patients, school students, teachers and health professional groups.
During the first years at the Center I learned at the press office how to communicate messages to the public.
In 1992 the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, the Federal Association for Health, the German Cancer Society and the German Medical Action Group Smoking and Health founded the German Coalition against Smoking.
From the first year, I was a member of the steering committee in which the most important medical associations are now working like the Federal Medical Association, the Cancer League, Heart Foundation, Lung Foundation and Federal Association against Addiction.
Since 1997, I am head of the Executive Office for Cancer Prevention in the German Cancer Research Center with special focus on tobacco prevention and tobacco control research in Germany. As German member of the steering committees of the European Network for Young People and Tobacco (ENYPAT) and the European Network for Smoking Prevention (ENSP), I learned that Germany is a developing country in tobacco control compared with, for example, the Scandinavian countries or the United Kingdom and France.
Together with a few colleagues who are aware of the tobacco problem I supported the European initiative to ban the tobacco advertising, gathering more than 80 medical and scientific associations in Germany in support for this initiative in the last year and writing letters to the German government and the German members of the European parliament. Even if our initiative was not successful toward German politics, people in Germany are now more aware of the problem and slowly the public opinion is changing.
Last year I founded together with colleagues a German Research Network for Smoking Prevention to encourage research on tobacco control in Germany.
I had the luck to take part in the World Conference onTobacco in Beijing and in the Conference on Women and Tobacco in Paris last year. I was deeply impressed about the tobacco epidemic world-wide and the increase of smoking prevalence in women. Therefore I agreed to join the steering committee of INWAT Europe when Margaretha Haglund asked me.
Certainly my interest in tobacco control concerns both genders but I am also sure that the need for successful tobacco control is in gender specific and social group specific projects.
This year I joined the project group of the WHO European Partnership Project on Tobacco Dependence. Within the last three months I prepared the requirements for the Partnership Project in Germany. This project will run for three years. The first WHO-Workshop for the project in Germany was organized two weeks ago by my office.
I am pleased to say that we could establish a coordinating office in Bonn financed by the German Ministry of Health
1. The next meeting of the European Network for Smoking Prevention is going to take place in Heidelberg (May 5-8). Is that a sign that Germany is getting more involved in International tobacco control? There were not so many German representatives at the Las Palmas Conference, so can you tell us about the general situation in Germany?
Martina: On the political point of view Germany is a developing country in tobacco control. First: We have more than 800.000 vending machines with free access for children and young people to draw cigarettes, one vending machine for 100 German inhabitants, this is unique all over the world. Second: We have huge billboards advertising cigarettes all over the Country. Third: We have no tobacco act regulating the non-smokers rights in public, at the worksite or in restaurants.
These conditions are the result of the enormous influence of the German tobacco industry on German politics.
Only a few people are working in tobacco control because there is just a small amount of money given to non-governmental organizations and by the government. This is the reason why only a few German people take part in international conferences. But there is certain hope that the situation is changing.
The meeting of the European Network for Smoking Prevention this week in Heidelberg is indeed a sign that Germany is getting more involved in international tobacco control and it is a sign of the friendly support of our European colleagues to communicate the experience of other Countries into Germany.
The participation in this Network but also in ENYPAT and INWAT helps to develop projects in Germany. This concerns also the WHO European Partnership Project on Tobacco Dependence. Germany is a challenge for all tobacco activists.
2. I heard, a year or so ago about the creation in Berlin of a "coalition" of tobacco control groups? Is it still operating?
Martina: the Coalition against Smoking was founded 1992 and is an initiative of non-governmental organizations and institutions to change the existing situation supporting non-smokers legislation, ad ban and helping that the prevalence of smoking will decrease. In these months we established an office in Bonn at the Federal Association for Health with one coordinator and an office to build up the project for the WHO. The Coalition is the main partner in the realization of the WHO project. Since several months we get financial support from the German Ministry of Health to establish a non-smokers network and we hope that we will also get money for further projects in the WHO European Partnership Project in Germany .
3. Under the conservative government Germany seemed quite reticent to push for tobacco control and more ready to embrace the industry ultra liberal stand. Are things changing with the new socialist Chancellor (although he smokes the cigar?) and the new majority? Since Germany is a Federal State are there big differences between the various Länder as far as tobacco/smoking regulations are concerned?
Martina: It is right, that under the conservative government tobacco control in Germany was practically a frustrating or exhausting work. We have the impression that the new government, a coalition of socialists and greens, will be more aware of the problem.
For example there was a clear statement of the Federal Minister for Health, Andrea Fischer, that she is aware of the smoking epidemic. Otherwise her own party, the Greens, accepted money from the tobacco industry for establishing a press lounge during their convention party in the last year. The socialist party also accepted money from the tobacco industry. At the moment there are too many contradictions in German politics so that it is too early to say that there will be a fundamental change. Smoking regulations are under the patronage of federal regulations so that there are no differences between the various Länder.
4. Reemtsa, the main German cigarette manufacturer is quite active in Eastern Europe and -I think- in Asia.Is it very influential in Germany ? Compared to Seita in France or Tabacalera in Spain ?
Martina: Reemtsma, but also Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have a deep influence on society. Representatives of the tobacco industry are socially well accepted members in all important social events. But also vice versa on the boards of their foundations are popular politicians, opinion leaders and representatives of other German industries. Their social events are well accepted by German politicians and representatives of public life as well as the media. This good acceptance of the tobacco industry makes the work for tobacco control activists very hard.
5. Where does Germany stand as far as smoke-free environments and non-smoker's rights are concerned? We read about new laws being discussed (but not passed?), smoke-free policies on University campuses (like Heidelberg), changes at Lutfhansa. How do you assess the situation?
Martina: The initiative for smoke free environments and non-smoker rights failed last year. It is correct that we are now discussing a new initiative for legislation and we hope that during the next year we will succeed on smoke-free environments and workplaces. It is a tiring way to contact all institutions of education to make them smoke-free.
In the University of Heidelberg we do not have a smoke free policy. In our own Center we have an agreement between the Management Board and the Staff Council that in principal the Center is smoke free since ten years. It is correct that Lufthansa is smoke free after several years of emotional discussions and even high pressure against this decision by the German tobacco industry. I think the decision of Lufthansa was a consequence of the international debate. Lufthansa had no other chance than to follow the good examples world-wide.
What you feel like adding :
Martina: It is extremely important that international organizations like the WHO, UICC, INWAT International, but also European organizations like the European Cancer Leagues, ENSP or ENYPAT will ask at every time and on every opportunity German decision makers concerning their tobacco politics, to help to change the situation of tobacco control in Germany.
Thank you Martina for taking the time to be with us today.
