New tobacco laws planned for Switzerland
In 2016, the Swiss parliament rejected a law proposal relating to the tobacco industry. Reviewed and gutted of the most controversial elements, the new law should come into force very soon. It establishes a new framework for all nicotine-containing products in the country.
Last year, the proposal included a proposal to ban cigarette advertising in cinemas, on posters, and in paid publications. This aspect of the law is no longer present in the propose text which has yet to be approved by Parliament.
The law will authorise the sale of various types of non-smoked tobacco products, such as snus, which is banned in the European Union. Electronic cigarettes that deliver nicotine are also allowed on the market. They will however be monitored and tested in terms of ingredients and labelling.
Reducing tobacco use and protecting the young
The law proposal also indicates that vaping will be subject to the same restrictions as those that apply to traditional cigarettes. Buyers of electronic cigarettes, along with e-liquids, will have to show proof of age to make a purchase in Switzerland. Capers will have to comply with specific laws concerning passive smoking which ban smoking (or vaping) in certain locations.
The local Parliament is expected to vote in this new law in the name of protecting the young. In Switzerland, 57% of smokers picked up the habit before they turned 18, an alarming statistic that the authorities wish to reduce in the coming years.
Swiss legislation regarding tobacco products is relatively permissive, however. Though signed in 2014, Switzerland ias still not ratified the World Health Organisation Convention.
