Addictions cause billions in damage in Switzerland
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Addictions cause billions in damage in Switzerland
The alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries generate billions in revenue. At the same time, they cost the economy billions, according to Addiction Switzerland, which is calling on politicians to make health an absolute priority.
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The Swiss Addiction Foundation writes in its Swiss Addiction Panorama 2025 report published on Tuesday that the addiction industry makes a large part of its turnover at the expense of people with problematic consumption and their families. Their suffering is unacceptable, it said.
It is also unacceptable that profits are privatised and the damage is passed on to the general public, Tania Séverin, director of Addiction Switzerland, said in the report.
+ As the risk of addiction grows for young people, are more bans needed?
According to Addiction Switzerland, more than 10,000 people die in Switzerland every year due to addictive substances. In addition, the latest estimates put the economic costs of addictive substances and their consequences at CHF7.9 billion ($8.8 billion) a year.
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Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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