Two-thirds of Swiss in favour of banning tobacco advertising

According to a survey commissioned by the Swiss Lung League, 67% of the Swiss population want a total ban on tobacco advertising throughout Switzerland, which currently has one of the least prohibitive laws in Europe on this subject, if not the most permissive.

Between 15 and 30 September 2020, the LeeWas polling institute surveyed 2,012 Swiss citizens on the subject of a possible general ban on tobacco advertising in their country, at the request of the Swiss Lung League. In a press release published online on 2 November 2020, the latter revealed that, according to the results of this survey, 67 % of Swiss citizens wanted a total ban on tobacco advertising [1]. In addition, 22% of those surveyed indicated that they were “rather in favour” of such a measure.

According to the same survey, the three main reasons for a general ban on tobacco advertising put forward by respondents were, in order, the "general rejection of advertising for products that are addictive and endanger health", "the protection of young people", and "the high medical costs caused by smoking [which] a ban on advertising would reduce" [2].

Legislation on tobacco advertising is not very restrictive

Based on the results of this survey, the Swiss Lung League is calling for "a ban on advertising, promotion and broad sponsorship of tobacco and nicotine products" and "the same rules for alternative tobacco and nicotine products" [3].

Currently, Switzerland undoubtedly has one of the least prohibitive laws in Europe on tobacco advertising [4]. Thus, although the latter has been banned on radio and television since 1964 [5], "Switzerland is the only European country where advertising of tobacco products in the press is permitted and, together with Belarus, it is also the only country where there are no restrictions on the sponsorship of cultural and sporting events" [6].

The fact that the law allows tobacco industry players to sponsor cultural and sporting events is particularly criticized by those interviewed in the survey commissioned by the Swiss Lung League, since "the target audience for tobacco and nicotine products [is] in this context above all adolescents and young adults" [7].

Switzerland, "home of tobacco multinationals" for the president of the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking

Beyond weak regulation of tobacco advertising, Switzerland generally appears to be a very poor performer in the fight against smoking. In 2019, among 36 European countries assessed in terms of tobacco control according to the Tobacco Control Scale, Switzerland was ranked 35th [8].

Depressed by this ranking, Luciano Ruggia, president of the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking, made the following observation: "Switzerland is the "homeland of tobacco multinationals". The fact that large groups, notably Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco, have their headquarters in Geneva and Lausanne plays a role in Switzerland's lax policy with regard to smoking" [9]. He denounces a very influential tobacco lobby in Swiss political circles, and deplores in particular the fact that Switzerland has still not ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control proposed for signature since 2004.

By publishing a survey whose results show that a very large majority of Swiss people want a general ban on tobacco advertising, the Swiss Lung League hopes to influence the public debate on this subject, at a time when a new law on tobacco products, an important part of which concerns advertising, is currently being drafted in Switzerland [10].

©Tobacco Free Generation

---

[1] Swiss population in favour of banning tobacco advertising, liguepulmonaire.ch (November 2, 2020, consulted on November 16, 2020). [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] However, each canton can apply more restrictive laws on its territory. [5] Restriction of tobacco advertising, tabac.unisante.ch (December 3, 2015, consulted on November 16, 2020). [6] Michela Canevascini, Hervé Kuendig, Claudia Véron, Myriam Pasche, Advertising and promotion of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, Swiss Medical Review, 2015, vol. 11, pp. 1288-1294. [7] Swiss population in favour of banning tobacco advertising, liguepulmonaire.ch (November 2, 2020, consulted on November 16, 2020). [8] Ram Etwareea, Switzerland, the “homeland of tobacco multinationals” criticized, Le Temps (February 20, 2020, last updated February 21, 2020, accessed November 16, 2020). [9] Ibid. [10] LPTab : second draft law (2016-2020), tabac.unisante.ch (December 18, 2018, consulted November 16, 2020). DNF - For a Zero Tobacco World |