Young smokers not deterred by ban on cigarette sales
Around 27% of the Swiss population currently smoke, according to the authors of the first systematic studies exploring young people’s attitudes toward smoking.
Keystone/Martin Ruetschi
A ban on cigarette sales in Switzerland has not prevented people under the age of 21 from smoking, a new study has found.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/urs
Researchers at the universities of Basel and Lausanne found that young people are not deterred by bans put in place in Switzerland over the past 15 years.
However, bans do not make smoking more attractive, a Basel University statement said on Monday. Respondents in the study said smokers are not considered “cooler” by their peers compared with before the introduction of the ban.
“The survey data shows that the sales ban has achieved no more than a minimal reduction in tobacco consumption,” the statementExternal link added.
The study is based on interviews with more than 80,000 people under the age of 21 between 2001 and 2016.
The authors of the study suggest that young adults find ways to bypass the ban as they get cigarettes from friends rather than buying them.
“Bans on cigarette sales, if they are not backed up by police enforcement measures, are unlikely to contribute to a significant reduction in smoking,” co-author Alois Stutzer is quoted as saying.
The researchers add that their findings are in contrast to similar studies about alcohol consumption among young adults.
Most of the 26 Swiss cantons introduced legislation outlawing the sale of cigarettes to under-16 or under-18-year-olds over the past 15 years.
More
More
Switzerland criticised for poor efforts to prevent young smokers
This content was published on
Switzerland is at the bottom of the class in Europe when it comes to preventing young people from smoking.
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?
Porrentruy mayor comments on Swiss pool ban controversy
This content was published on
The mayor of the Swiss town of Porrentruy, which has been in the headlines in neighbouring France after restricting access to a pool to locals after a spate of anti-social behaviour, says he has received much support in recent days.
Swiss universities to release multilingual AI programme
This content was published on
This summer researchers at Swiss universities will make available a large language model (LLM), an AI programme trained on vast amounts of data, developed on public infrastructure.
This content was published on
After a one-year test phase, Zurich's cantonal police are introducing an online police station. Demand is high and the response from the public has been positive.
Switzerland is wrangling over implementation of tougher tobacco laws
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament is currently debating how to restrict advertising of tobacco products and ward off calls for an outright ban.
Geneva parliament votes to ban cigarette sales to minors
This content was published on
Geneva has joined most other Swiss cantons in banning the sale of cigarettes to minors and plans a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes to young people.
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.