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Tag: Swiss

  • Swiss Groups Launch Passive Smoke Awareness Platform

    Swiss Groups Launch Passive Smoke Awareness Platform

    The Swiss Association for Tobacco Prevention and the Swiss Lung League launched Passivesmoke.ch, described as Switzerland’s “first national platform dedicated to the risks of passive smoking and vaping.” The initiative follows newly published “Health and Lifestyle” survey data from Addiction Switzerland, indicating rising nicotine product use among young people, with campaigners highlighting that 45% of 18–24-year-olds report using e-cigarettes, snus, nicotine pouches, or other products. The groups say unintentional exposure to smoke and vapor remains common in shared indoor spaces and communal housing.

    The organizations linked the launch to Switzerland’s continued refusal to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), noting that parliament in March declined ratification despite prior government support. Prevention advocates argue the platform is intended to refocus attention on secondhand exposure risks amid shifting consumption patterns toward vaping and oral nicotine products.

  • Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland opened a formal consultation on new tobacco and nicotine advertising restrictions, setting the stage for the rules to take effect in early 2027. The move marks a key step in implementing the “Children and young people without tobacco advertising” initiative approved by voters in 2022, which calls for banning all tobacco ads accessible to minors.

    After protracted debate, parliament adopted a compromise earlier this year. Advertising in newspapers and magazines will be prohibited unless the publication is primarily subscription-based and at least 98% of readers are adults. The draft ordinance also details new age-verification requirements for online ads, e-commerce sales, and vending machines. Proof of age must be confirmed using an official physical or digital ID, including SwissID or the national e-ID.

    Additional rules outline how event organizers must prevent minors from seeing tobacco-sponsored advertising, including mandatory age checks and restricting access to areas where such ads are displayed.

  • Switzerland Continues Tobacco Advertising Debate

    Switzerland Continues Tobacco Advertising Debate

    In 2022, the Swiss people voted to ban “all forms of tobacco advertising accessible to children,” and today the government is closing in on the details of what exactly that entails as it pertains to print media, events, and sponsorships. The Senate called for relaxations of the original law, which the House agreed to and expanded, sending it back to the Senate for its approval.

    The House decided that advertising would be banned in the print media unless it is in an inside section of a publication that is sold mainly through subscription and has a readership of at least 98% adults. It also decided advertising would be permitted for events and sponsorships providing that the materials are neither visible nor accessible to minors.

    Lawmakers also decided to allow tobacco sales by mobile vendors in places accessible to the public that may be frequented by minors, provided that it is guaranteed that the advertising is neither visible nor accessible to minors. The Senate did not consider it necessary to restrict this activity.

  • Swiss Airports See All-Time High in Cigarette Smuggling 

    Swiss Airports See All-Time High in Cigarette Smuggling 

    Cigarette smuggling at Swiss airports increased by nearly 28% in 2024, with the majority of the illicit products coming from Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Republic of Congo, with most apparently intended to be sold in France. Customs officials discovered 880,000 undeclared cigarettes last year, up from 690,000 in 2023.

    More than 700,000 undeclared cigarettes were seized at Geneva Airport. All foreign couriers stopped while traveling were fined, and those found to be commercial smugglers were banned from entry. Unpaid fines were converted to days in prison for smugglers.

    As examples, customs officials pointed to one day when a 35-year-old Egyptian man was caught with 44,840 cigarettes (220 cartons), and later that day a 25-year-old Greek man had 47,360 cigarettes (235 cartons) in his luggage.