RTL2 In “Poor Germany,” the show highlights the unvarnished reality of people struggling with financial difficulties and other social challenges. The focus of the docu-soap is Carola (39) and her expensive vice: smoking.
Carola (39) has never worked for several days in a row in her life. But she does have a time-consuming hobby: sitting at the kitchen table with her boyfriend Lothar (63), listening to the radio and smoking like crazy…
Citizens’ allowance: Smokers have to dig deep into their pockets
“Because of all the stress,” says Carola, she smokes one cigarette after another. But what happens when there are no cigarettes to hand? “Then she rolls in a triangle,” explains her friend Lothar (63), “either cigarette or beer, preferably both together.”
+++ Citizens’ allowance: Recipient (22) complains about “too much money” at the end of the month +++
Smoking not only puts a strain on the lungs, but also on the wallet. According to a survey by Statista, Germans paid an average of 8.20 euros for a pack of the most popular brands in July 2024. For comparison: According to the German Cigarette Association (DZV), a pack of cigarettes in the premium price range cost just 3.00 euros for 19 cigarettes in January 2002. Today you have to pay almost three times as much – even if the pack contains one more cigarette.
Citizens’ allowance: So much money disappears into thin air
This drives up Carola’s bill considerably: around 2,760 euros are wasted in cigarette smoke every year. But Carola sees no other way out. “I started when I was 13 and am now 39. You can’t just say you’re going to stop overnight,” she explains.
+++ Citizens’ allowance recipient frustrated – “You can’t afford anything” +++
A hefty price for a vice that consumes almost a quarter of Carola’s income. You might think that the money would be better invested in a vacation by the sea, a well-stocked fridge or doing things together. Lothar has already had to stop smoking for six weeks for health reasons – an involuntary but perhaps valuable break.
But Carola, on the other hand, doesn’t think much of the warnings about the health risks of smoking: “Every doctor says that, and all doctors smoke themselves. Everyone smokes!”
RTL2 shows new episodes of “Poor Germany” on Tuesdays from 8:15 p.m.
