Switzerland close to further restricting tobacco advertising

Press: tobacco advertising to be partially banned Keystone-SDA

Switzerland has moved a step closer to restricting tobacco advertising in the print media as one chamber of parliament voted in favour of the measure.

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In 2022, the Swiss people approved an initiative by 56.6%, which calls for a ban on “all forms of tobacco advertising accessible to children”. The government’s revision of the law gives concrete form to this text. It targets the print media, events open to young people and sponsorship.

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The House of representatives has agreed to some of the relaxations decided by the senators and also endorsed others. For example, it decided that advertising would be banned in the print media unless it is in the inside section of newspapers that are sold mainly by subscription and have a readership of at least 98% adults.

Tobacco advertising will be banned in places accessible to minors. However, following the lead of the Senate, the House of Representatives decided that tobacco advertising should be permitted provided that it is neither visible nor accessible to minors. Similar rules apply to sponsorship of events.

Mobile vendors

With regard to restrictions on promotion, lawmakers decided to allow sales by mobile vendors in places accessible to the public that may be frequented by minors, provided that it is guaranteed that the advertising is neither visible nor accessible to minors. The Senate did not consider it necessary to restrict this activity.

The left argued in favour of the Federal Council’s more restrictive version, while the Swiss People’s Party was in favour of greater flexibility. The party also tried to send the draft back to the Federal Council so that it would review its copy and implement only the text of the initiative.

All to no avail. In the final vote, a section of Swiss People’s Party parliamentarians rejected the draft and part of the left abstained.

The matter now goes back to the Senate.

What is your opinion? Join the debate:

Translated from French with DeepL/mga

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