Switzerland has some of the weakest tobacco regulations in Europe and hosts some of the world’s largest cigarette manufacturers. It is also the only European country that has not ratified the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) due to parliamentary reservations.
As a response to this inaction, “Children without tobacco” a popular initiative which called for a ban to all tobacco-related advertising that reaches or targets children and young adults was voted on by the electorate and approved on 13th February. This will mean that tobacco-related advertising will be banned from general media, the internet, on posters and billboards, at events and more, when specifically aimed at minors. Advertising will still be allowed in places where minors have no access.
EFA Member the Swiss Lung Association, together with many partners from the fields of health, youth, sports and education, was part of the group actively lobbying in support of the campaign.
Find out more about this crucial legislation here.