Switzerland is imposing a total ban on all advertisements promoting tobacco products and cigarettes. On Sunday, the public voted in favor of new legislation that aims to prohibit the display of ads, banners, commercials, and other mediums that glamorize tobacco products.
Unlike in other countries, cigarette and tobacco advertisements are still prominently present in billboards, movies, events, and festivals in Switzerland. The Alpine nation has one of the most lenient regulations involving tobacco advertisements, but with the new legislation, that is now slowly changing.
Health officials said the new legislation, which was approved in a referendum, is a significant step forward for the country and its efforts to protect the public and the youth. Swiss National Council member and one of the proponents of the legislation, Flavia Wasserfallen, said health advocates and organizations have long been calling on the government to curb the influence of tobacco companies in the country.
The majority vote Sunday indicated the public's wishes to remove cigarette advertisements. The legislation was approved after 56.6% of the public voted in favor of its passing.
Switzerland has one of the world's highest smoking rates. In recent years, efforts have been made to enact stronger tobacco-related product laws. The country's executive branch, the Federal Council, proposed a Tobacco Products Act in 2015, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco to minors and limit how products are advertised.
Parliament finally passed a weaker version of the law, which prohibited the sale of cigarettes to minors under the age of 18 but allowed advertising to continue largely uncontrolled and unrestricted.
The stiffer limits were dubbed "excessive" by opponents of the legislation, including large tobacco manufacturers based in the country. While they agreed that tobacco should be confined to those above the age of 18, they said that the new regulations amounted to a de facto prohibition on a legal product.
The country is home to the international headquarters of Philip Morris and Japan Tobacco International, as well as British American Tobacco. The industry employs roughly 4,500 people in Switzerland, including in the manufacturing of high-tar cigarettes, which are banned in the European Union. Cigarettes, like chocolate and cheese, are among the country's largest exports.
Even with the bill approved, Switzerland still has one of the most lenient tobacco regulations compared with other European countries. Before the referendum was approved, Alain Berset, Switzerland's vice president and health minister, had spoken out against its passing. However, he conceded after the legislation was approved on Sunday, stating that the Swiss people had spoken and that the government will move forward in implementing the new laws.
