Switzerland: a campaign to raise awareness among young people in Valais about new nicotine products

Promotion santé Valais, through CIPRET (Smoking Information and Prevention Center), is launching a campaign called "Nicotine Gang" to raise awareness among adolescents and young adults about the risks associated with the use of puffs and other nicotine products (nicotine pouches, snus). The campaign, which will run on TikTok and Snapchat from April 15 to 28, 2025, will take the form of two clips in French and German, redirecting Internet users to an information page.[1].

A campaign to raise awareness of the risks of nicotine products

" This initiative comes at a time when Valais legislation will soon ban advertising for all nicotine products in points of sale, and prohibit the sale of puffs. ", recalled Promotion santé Valais in a press release. In this canton, the ban on puffs was voted on by the Valais Grand Council on November 14, 2024, but has not yet come into force.[2].

The "Nicotine Gang" campaign is part of an advocacy effort calling for current legislation to be supplemented by highlighting the short-term dangers of these products. In addition, the campaign informs young people, who are highly targeted by these products, about the quitting aids and support they can rely on. The clip on puffs informs about the risks of addiction to these products, while the one on oral nicotine products warns of the negative effects on oral health. A click takes users to an information page that allows them to learn more and ask questions on dedicated websites.[3].

This initial pilot phase will be evaluated, and based on the results, the campaign will be adjusted as needed. It will be expanded as new products arrive on the market. Discussions are underway for a rollout in other cantons, including Geneva.

Switzerland remains largely influenced by the tobacco industry

A survey carried out in August 2022 among young French-speaking Swiss revealed that nearly 59 % of them had already tried puffs and that 12 % consumed them regularly.[4]. " These disposable electronic cigarettes are very popular among young people due to the diversity of their flavors (63 %), the absence of tobacco odor (40 %) and the simplicity of their use (30 %) ", the press release emphasizes. These are easily purchasable, as a survey conducted by AT Suisse in March 2024 revealed that 108 Swiss websites had sold vaping devices, including puffs with a tank exceeding the authorized limit of 2ml.[5]. In addition, the share of 15-19 year olds consuming tobacco is 21.1%. It is composed of 9 % daily smokers and 12.1 % occasional smokers.

The country is still lagging far behind in tobacco control, having not ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The tobacco industry is strongly established there, with the presence of Japan Tobacco and, in particular, Philip Morris, which has established its headquarters and production sites there. The tobacco industry deploys numerous tactics in the country to prevent, delay, and weaken policies aimed at reducing smoking. It thus uses direct lobbying, front groups, public relations campaigns, and political campaign financing. Tobacco companies also finance Swiss universities, through a veritable instrumentalization and manipulation of scientific research.[6]Finally, manufacturers are also active in the country in the field of philanthropic actions in the cultural and social fields in order to create a favorable regulatory framework and deploy indirect advertising.[7].

In this permissive context, the arrival of new 6-methyl-nicotine products have recently been identified online or at specialized retail outlets in Switzerland. These included disposable vapes and oral products similar to nicotine pouches. This new nicotine analogue could have even more powerful and addictive effects than traditional nicotine, raising concerns among public health experts.

Illustrating the weight of the tobacco industry in the country and its influence on public policies, the country was ranked second to last in the 2021 European Tobacco Control Scale (Switzerland is 36th out of 37) and in the 2023 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, which ranks Switzerland 89th out of 90 countries studied.

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[1]Keystone – ATS, A campaign to raise awareness among young people in Valais about the harmful effects of smoking, Le Nouvelliste, published April 15, 2025, consulted April 16, 2025

[2]Tobacco-free generation, Switzerland: Valais canton bans puffs, published November 20, 2024, accessed April 16, 2025

[3]Health promotion Valais, Nicotine Gang: A campaign to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of nicotine products, accessed April 16, 2025

[4]Chok L, Cros J, Lebon L, Zürcher K, Dubuis A, Berthouzoz C, Suris JC, Barrense-Dias Y, Survey on the use and representations of disposable electronic cigarettes (puffs) among young French-speaking Swiss, Lausanne, Unisanté – University Center for General Medicine and Public Health, 2023 (Health Reasons 344)

[5]Tobacco-free generation, Europe: Illegal sale of puffs on the Internet, published September 17, 2024, accessed April 16, 2025

[6]Tobacco-free generation, How Switzerland is undermining the global fight against smoking and the preservation of human rights, published October 22, 2024, accessed April 16, 2025

[7]Tobacco-free generation, Switzerland: Tobacco industry's "philanthropic" actions serve their commercial interests, published November 29, 2024, accessed April 16, 2025

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