WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: NGO Swiss Association for the Prevention of Tobacco Use calls for ratification by Switzerland

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) represents a historic milestone in public health, being the first treaty under public international law aimed at promoting public health on a global scale. Switzerland signed this treaty on 25 June 2004, but twenty years later it has still not ratified it. In view of this situation, the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Tobacco Use urges Parliament to immediately ratify the FCTC by 1 October..

Federal authorities have often justified the lack of ratification by the lack of adequate implementing provisions. However, under international law, states may ratify international conventions without prior national implementing legislation.

A 2019 legal opinion demonstrated that the current adaptations of the new Swiss Tobacco Products Act (LPTab) allow for the ratification of the FCTC. This law aims to regulate the production, sale and advertising of tobacco products. The LPTab thus imposes restrictions on the marketing and advertising of tobacco products, as well as on their packaging and labelling. It includes provisions concerning the protection of non-smokers, the prevention of smoking among young people, and the implementation of measures to inform the public about the dangers of tobacco, with the aim of reducing tobacco consumption and protecting public health.

The influence of the tobacco lobby in Switzerland

By signing the FCTC in 2004, the Swiss Federal Council expressed its intention to implement the obligations stipulated by the Convention. However, until now, Parliament has refused to ratify this treaty. This situation is explained by the weight of the tobacco industry in the country. Two of the three tobacco multinationals, Philip Morris International (PMI) and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), have set up their headquarters there, benefiting from legislation that is very favourable to them.

The issue of the ban on tobacco advertising is an illustration of this. This advertising persists in Switzerland. Thus, tobacco companies have sponsored many cultural and sporting events in Switzerland. For example, the Montreux Jazz Festival was sponsored by PMI for many years.[1] This type of sponsorship conveys a positive image of the products and their manufacturers and normalizes the consumption of tobacco products.

However, the proposed ban on tobacco advertising aimed at protecting minors, proposed by the Federal Council in May 2023, was ultimately rejected by the National Council on 29 February 2024, many of whose members are linked to manufacturers.[2]

The tobacco industry's influence is also exerted in other ways. An investigation by the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking has shown that Philip Morris International's involvement in the publication of a study on benzopyrene by the Zurich Polytechnic was concealed from the Swiss Science Foundation.[3] Generally speaking, tobacco companies fund the country's universities without publicly disclosing it.

The challenges of ratifying the FCTC

According to the association, Switzerland's ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) presents several crucial issues for public health, compliance with international standards and economic implications. By becoming a party to this convention, Switzerland could strengthen its tobacco control policies by adopting measures such as banning tobacco advertising, strictly regulating heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, and establishing smoke-free spaces. This would reduce the prevalence of smoking, prevent tobacco-related diseases and improve the general health of the population, by also reducing exposure to passive smoking, particularly among young people. Ratification is also strategic from an economic perspective.

It would reduce the tobacco industry’s influence on national policies and limit advertising while increasing tobacco taxes, which could reduce tobacco use and generate additional tax revenue. Investing in public health through robust tobacco control policies could also lead to long-term savings on health care costs and improve workforce productivity through a healthier population.

In 2022, 24 % of the population over 15 years of age smoked, i.e. 27 % of men and 21 % of women. Among 15-24 year olds, the proportion of smokers reached 26 %. In Switzerland, smoking causes 9500 deaths per year, which corresponds to 26 people per day and 14 % of all deaths. People who smoke most often die from cardiovascular diseases (34 %), lung cancer (29 %), respiratory diseases (17 %) or other cancers (16 %). In 2017, 6000 men and 3500 women lost their lives prematurely in Switzerland due to smoking.

DT

©Generation Without Tobacco

[1] Julie Bianchin, Festivals remain addicted to tobacco industry sponsors, 24Heures, published on July 22, 2019, consulted on June 27, 2024

[2] Tobacco Free Generation, Switzerland postpones ban on tobacco advertising, GST, published March 8, 2024, accessed June 27, 2024

[3] Tobacco-free generation, Philip Morris International's Hidden Funding of Swiss Research, GST, published February 22, 2024, accessed June 27, 2024

[4] Federal Office of Public Health, Facts & Figures: Tobacco, OFSP published in 2023, consulted on June 27, 2024

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