92-Year-Old Former German Chancellor Gets Heat for Smoking on TV

Anti-smoking advocates were in full throttle in Germany after former Chancellor of West Germany Helmut Schmidt kept puffing on his cigarette during a television interview last Sunday. In the Charlie Rose interview on German public broadcaster ARD, the 92-year-old Schmidt commented on German reunification and recent European history. He also said that smoking lots of cigarettes is responsible for his mental sharpness at his advanced age.

Activists against smoking were incensed — they called his smoking and comments on TV an outrage and charged that ARD was violating the anti-smoking laws and was endangering the health of the TV crew and the audience by allowing Schmidt to smoke.

Smoking supporters now have a new hero — certainly Schmidt’s distinguished looks belie his years, and his comments show he is still sharp. And, he has a full head of hair. Watch below: