New tobacco law: should we do more to protect minors? – rts.ch

According to data from the OFSP, in Switzerland, tobacco causes 9,500 deaths per year. The costs borne by the community in the face of the country’s two million smokers run into the billions.

So Tuesday 1^is October, it was time for the big screw tightening. The news Federal law on tobacco products and electronic cigarettes (LPTab) as well as his prescription (OPTab) came into force. We can count several major advances in these two texts.

First, the LPTab applies in the same way to traditional tobacco products and electronic cigarettes with and without nicotine, heating products and “similar products” – defined by OPTab. And all these products are prohibited for those under 18 throughout Switzerland.

Then, to protect minors, advertising is prohibited in all spaces, transport and buildings publics as well as around sports fields and during sporting events or even at the cinema. But not at points of sale. Nor in “private” places where advertising would not be visible from public space.

Finally, promotion by free delivery of products is also prohibited. The same goes for competitions with gifts. And the same for the sponsorship of events “of an international nature or intended for minors”.

A law too soft?

So, the law on tobacco products came into force on Tuesday 1^is Is October enough? Or should it go further, particularly with regard to the protection of minors? Come and discuss it with dialogue, an offer from the SSR.

Parliament is discussing this through the project to implement the popular initiative “Yes to the protection of children and young people against tobacco advertising”, accepted by the people on February 13, 2022, which should come into force in 2026.

Ban advertising wherever minors can see it

For the defenders of the initiative, the objective is to prohibit tobacco advertising wherever it can reach minors. Everywhere. On this point, the new LPTab does not go far enough, according to them.

Broadly speaking, the camp for strict application of the initiative would like to ban advertising for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes also in private places where minors can go – including points of sale – and on media to which young people have access: all written press, the Internet under certain conditions and all festivals – not just those “of an international nature or intended for minors”.

The Federal Council, the Council of States, the initiators and the left defend the radical formula of the text of the initiative approved by the people. But in the National Council, the center and the right (The Center, the PVL, the PLR, the UDC) have already reduced it. And, still in the Lower House, the UDC wants to go even further in watering down the text, having opposed the “soft” version of the initiative in February 2024.

Switzerland, black sheep in the fight against smoking

Switzerland is the black sheep in the fight against tobacco. In any case, this is what the World Health Organization thinks, which strongly criticized the Confederation on the occasion of the launch of a publication on the prevention of smoking, on September 26, 2023.

From law to practice, there is a long way

Since June 2023, the sale of puffs to minors has been legally prohibited in Ticino. However, according to a survey by Italian Radio Television Switzerland (RSI), one retailer in four does not check the age of young people who want to buy these disposable electronic cigarettes.

Why is the tobacco lobby so powerful in Switzerland?

The Swiss tobacco industry is relatively successful in translating its economic weight into political influence. There are rankings in this area, such as the international Tobacco Lobby Index. Switzerland is at the bottom of the pack, in 89th place out of 90.

Julien Furrer