In its 2019 health report published on Tuesday, the Swiss Federal Statistical OfficeExternal link noted that nearly 40,500 people were diagnosed with cancer in Switzerland every year between 2011 and 2015. That’s about 2,000 cases more than the annual average five years prior. The increase is primarily due to the fact that the population is getting older.
The risk of dying from cancer, on the other hand, has not increased; in fact, the odds have gone down, reported the statistics office. Within the past 30 years, the standardized mortality rate has fallen by 27% for women and 37% for men. This means that the risk of a woman in Switzerland dying of cancer is now a quarter lower than it was for a woman in the same age group 30 years ago. For men, the difference is even more than a third.
Toking teenagers
The report also shows that cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Switzerland has increased significantly within ten years. In 2017, 9% of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 reported having used cannabis in the past month.
Ten years earlier, there were fewer regular cannabis users in this age group (6%). Among young men, the figure in 2017 was 12% – twice as frequent as among young women.
Drinking alcohol is more common among adolescents and young adults than cannabis use. Among 15-24-year-olds surveyed in 2017, 27% said they got drunk at least once a month. Here, too, the proportion was higher among young men (30%) than among young women (24%).
More
More
Swiss health commission calls for legalisation of cannabis
This content was published on
A Swiss government commission has called for cannabis to be decriminalised and for the market to be regulated in the Alpine country.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
This content was published on
American artist Chaka Khan ‘and friends’ opened the 59th Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday. For over three hours, their show, dedicated to their friend and mentor Quincy Jones, thrilled the audience,
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss cancer research yields breast-saving fat, better detection
This content was published on
The incidence of breast cancer in Switzerland is high, but research offers hope – especially the finding that cancer cells can be converted into fat.
Swiss researchers decode cell receptor in cancer metastasis
This content was published on
Researchers in Switzerland have deciphered the structure of a cell receptor, unlocking new hope for the prevention of metastasis of certain cancers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.