BACKGROUND: The Netherlands and Germany share many cultural, economic and geographical characteristics. However, while tobacco control policies tend to be strong and comprehensive in the Netherlands, tobacco control efforts have been weak in Germany in the past decades.
METHODS: We combined data from the Netherlands Health Survey (N=52815) and the German DEBRA study (N=76838) into one dataset that is representative of the adult population in Germany and the Netherlands. Logistic regression models were used to examine differences between the two countries in trends in smoking and quit attempts between 2016 and 2022.
RESULTS: In the Netherlands smoking rates decreased from 24.1% in 2016 to 18.9% in 2022 and quit attempt rates remained stable (from 32.5% to 35.9%). In contrast, in Germany smoking rates increased from 28.6% to 36.2% and quit attempt rates dropped dramatically in the same period (from 30.5% to 9.3%).
CONCLUSIONS: The strength of tobacco control policies between the Netherlands and Germany is reflected in differences in national smoking and quit attempt rates. The differences may be explained by the effectiveness of the tobacco industry lobby versus the strength of civil society in the field of tobacco control. In order to avoid future increases in smoking rates and declines in quit attempt rates, countries should continue to implement strong and comprehensive tobacco control policies and promote smoking cessation among smokers.