Parliament pushes ahead with ban on tobacco advertising in print media

The vote in parliament followed approval of a people’s initiative in 2022 that banned tobacco advertisements that could reach minors. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

The Senate in Switzerland voted in favor of restricting tobacco advertising in print media. This followed approval of a people’s initiative in 2022 that banned tobacco advertisements that could reach minors.

The right-wing party in the Senate would have liked to reduce the scope of several provisions, in particular that concerning newspaper advertising, which goes too far, according to parliamentarian Damian Müller.

Advertising should have been allowed inside publications sold by subscription to adults in his view. But the Centre party clearly tipped the balance in favor of strict application of the initiative, which calls for tobacco advertising not to reach young people.

“Children have access to the newspapers their parents subscribe to, that’s a given,” said Marianne Maret from the Centre party. The advertising is aimed at future consumers, she added.

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In Switzerland, tobacco causes some 10,000 deaths a year. According to the government’s plan, from 2026 onwards, no advertising for tobacco or electronic cigarettes will be allowed in the print media. However, an exception will be made for publications aimed at the foreign market or exclusively at industry professionals.

Switzerland is the only European country that has yet to ban tobacco advertising in newspapers, countered health minister Alain Berset. With the exception sought by the right-wing members of parliament, the country would be left with the status quo, which does not correspond to the new constitutional norm agreed by voters.

Some watering down

As for the rest of the draft revision, the right-wing did manage to scale down some of the provisions, albeit to a lesser extent.

Tobacco advertising will be banned in places accessible to minors. But if appropriate measures are taken to prevent young people from seeing it, it should be permitted. Sponsorship of events should be regulated in a similar way, according to the senators.

In the end, the Senate voted in favor of the revision by 37 votes to 3. The dossier now goes to the House.

A separate plan to restrict tobacco advertising in public places was endorsed by Parliament for 2021. By mid-2024, poster and cinema advertising (already banned in some cantons), advertising on public buildings, sports fields and at sporting events, and sponsorship of international events will be prohibited.

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