Switzerland launches new youth smoking prevention programme

The campaign, funded by the Tobacco Prevention Fund (TPF) and entitled "Free. Fair. Future", wants to encourage young people to lead a nicotine-free life. With 22.5% of smokers among adolescents aged 15 to 19, the FPT intends in particular to involve children and young people more in prevention.

In its press release, the Fund indicates that the objective of the prevention program[1], with an annual budget of around CHF 5.5 million, is to enable children and young people in Switzerland to lead a life free of tobacco and nicotine.

Targeted measures within the framework of a global strategy

In order to increase the impact on the target group, the new programme follows a participatory prevention approach. The activities and measures are developed in cooperation with children and young people and focus on active and independent management of their leisure time and life. With this in mind, the FPT is currently setting up a virtual platform co-developed with young people. In the future, this should provide a space where this topic can be addressed in a playful and informative way.

"Free. Fair. Future" also continues to create outdoor spaces that are free of tobacco and nicotine products, and where young people are not encouraged to consume. A new secondary school education offer is also being developed. For this campaign, the FPT is working closely with prevention and civil society stakeholders. Existing programmes, such as "cool and clean" from Swiss Olympic, a national prevention programme in the field of sport, will also be adapted to the "Free. Fair. Future" objective.

The aim is to get as many organisations as possible to join the vision, mission and idea of the new prevention programme. This should also promote a coordinated treatment of facts and studies. "Free. Fair. Future wants to show "how present tobacco products, nicotine and smoking are in our daily lives, their negative effects and how children and young people are knowingly influenced".

Switzerland, a country heavily influenced by the tobacco industry

Switzerland is one of the last countries not to have ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and is now considered the stronghold of the tobacco industry in the world. The tobacco industry also maintains a very strong influence over public decision-makers, which largely explains Switzerland's delay in implementing public health regulations.

This strong influence comes at a high price, since each year, around 9,500 people die prematurely from smoking. Currently, more than a quarter of the Swiss population smokes (27,133). The proportion of smokers is 321,333 among 15-24 year-olds and 361,333 among 25-34 year-olds. Very high proportions that have remained unchanged for ten years.[2].

In February 2022, a vote marked a clear victory in the fight against smoking in the country when, by 57%, and with a majority of cantons, and despite strong opposition from the tobacco industry, the Swiss voted in favour of the popular initiative "Yes to the protection of children and young people against tobacco advertising" which aims to restrict advertising for tobacco and nicotine products.

©Tobacco Free Generation

AE

[1] Press release, Free. Fair. Future. – Paradigm Shift in Preventing Tobacco Use and Nicotine Addiction in Children and Youth, Swiss Federal Council website, June 13, 2022, consulted on June 15, 2022