On Wednesday the Luxembourgish cancer foundation presented the results of its annual smoking survey. For the 2011 edition, 5,839 people were asked if they smoked or not, how regularly an if they were thinking of quitting.

All in all, 22 % of Luxembourg residents currently smoke, when asked who lights up every day, the figure is even lower, down to 17 %. Never has the figure been this low.

Applied to the country's whole population of 422,000, it means there are currently 93,000 smokers in Luxembourg.The following graph shows how the percentage of smokers has dropped to this record figure.

It's still the case that men smoke more than women: 24 % compared to 20%. However, the figure for men dropped remarkably from 27 % in 2010 to 24 % in 2011, a record low, whereas the number of women smokers stayed at 20 %.

Most smokers (29%) are between 25 and 34 years old. The number of smokers in the age group between 18 and 24 years old, has dropped over the space of a year, from 29 % to 25 %, which makes the cancer foundation especially happy. Another positive point is the fact, that 58 % of smokers said they want to quit, with 15 % admitting they would like to smoke less.

84 % of Luxembourg residents stated that they feel disturbed by inhaling the smoke of others, in 2010 this figure was still at 80 %.

As every year, the Luxembourgish cancer foundation called on the government to significantly raise tobacco prices and introduce a total smoking ban in bars and clubs.