Nicotine(HNB tobac supplier) and alcohol continue to play an important role in Germany, experts say. The new addiction report shows changes in legal and illegal drug use in Germany, while also documenting a boom in sports betting.   According to the “Addiction Yearbook 2023″ by the German Center on Addiction (DHS), tobacco(heat not burn heatsticks) and alcohol consumption in Germany continues to decline, but remains at high levels. Spending on tobacco(herbal heatsticks manufacturer) products fell to 27.1bn euros in 2022, down 7.7% from the previous year.   The consumption of alcohol cigarettes decreased and that of hookah increased   Consumption of finished cigarettes in Germany fell 8.3 percent to 65.8 billion, while consumption of hand-rolled fine cigarettes edged up 0.9 percent to about 25,000 tons. Cigar consumption fell 8.9 percent to 2.5 billion.   Addiction reports also show an increase in hookah consumption in recent years. The new data from the Federal Statistical Office do not include consumption of hookah and heated tobacco(tobacco heatsticks manufacturer), so it cannot be compared with 2022. But consumption in this area is not expected to decline.   Overall, the percentage of smokers continues to decline. By 2021, about 16 percent of women and 22 percent of men will still be smoking, according to the microcensus. Christina Rummel, head of the Centre for Addiction, says Germany is at the bottom of international comparisons of tobacco prevention and control. “To continue to reduce tobacco consumption and passive smoking, we must consistently continue and scale up our efforts.”   Alcohol consumption is well above the global average   According to the Addiction report, 7.9 million Germans drink alcohol “in ways that are harmful to their health.” Women drink 12 grams of pure alcohol a day and men 24 grams, which is equivalent to one or two small glasses of beer.   “Although alcohol consumption continues to decline compared to previous years, the amount of alcohol consumed in Germany is still significantly higher than the global average,” said Norbert Scherbaum, CEO of DHS. In Germany, alcohol is widely accepted as a cultural substance. “Even small amounts of alcohol can make people sick,” says Ulrich John, alcohol researcher and yearbook author at Greifswald University Hospital. Abstaining from alcohol can add at least 16 years to a woman’s life and at least 10 years to a man’s.   In addition to reducing personal consumption, experts are calling for more structural policy measures. ”Such as raising the price of alcohol, limiting the current 24/7 availability and regulating alcohol advertising,” structural prevention has been shown to be effective and also reduces consumption costs for society as a whole. “Every sip of alcohol is damaging,” Rummel stressed. “It’s a cytotoxin.”   Other addictive consumption   Among illegal drugs, marijuana is the most common drug among young people and adults, experts said. About 4.7 million adults aged 18 to 64 and about 374,000 youths aged 12 to 17 have used illegal drugs in the past 12 months.   Gambling market sales grew 14.6 percent to 53.4 billion euros in 2021. This is largely the result of a July 2021 amendment to the national gambling treaty legalizing sports betting. Sports betting grew by 409.6% in 2021, with turnover reaching 18.3 billion euros. Figures for 2022 are not yet available. “We take a very critical view of this and will continue to monitor it closely,” the Center said.   On the other hand, casinos and slot machines are no longer as relevant as they were in 2020-2021. The Center on Addiction believes the COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame. People have moved gambling from physical stores to the Internet.