Two-thirds of Swiss in favor 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 people about 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 people 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 those surveyed were, in order, the "general rejection of advertising for products that cause addiction 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 very loosely 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, along 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" according to the president of the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking

Beyond weak regulations regarding 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 occupied 35th position [8].

Luciano Ruggia, president of the Swiss Association for the Prevention of Smoking, expressed his regret at this ranking and noted: "Switzerland is the 'homeland of tobacco multinationals'. The fact that major groups, including Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco, have their headquarters in Geneva and Lausanne plays a role in Switzerland's lax policy on smoking."9He denounces a very influential tobacco lobby in Swiss political circles, and particularly deplores the fact that Switzerland has still not ratified the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which has been open 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].

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] Swiss population supports ban on tobacco advertising, Liguepulmonaire.ch (November 2, 2020, accessed November 16, 2020). [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] However, each canton can apply more restrictive laws within its territory. [5] Restriction of tobacco advertising, tabac.unisante.ch (December 3, 2015, consulted 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 supports ban on tobacco advertising, Liguepulmonaire.ch (November 2, 2020, accessed 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 |