Germany, the last country in the EU that still allows tobacco products to be advertised at the cinema and on street posters, will soon be banning tobacco ads in its streets.
A draft law released on May 21, 2020, will end free distribution of cigarettes at events and limit the advertising of tobacco products to films for adults, if passed. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had previously indicated her support for an advertising ban earlier in 2019, followed by her party bloc changing its stance on tobacco advertising at the end of 2019. The new bill will be debated in parliament in early June.
The advertising ban is expected to be widened to include electronic cigarettes by 2024.