New Swiss tobacco law: are minors sufficiently protected?

On October 1, the new Tobacco Products Act came into force across Switzerland. At the same time, the Swiss parliament is debating the implementation of the “Yes to the protection of children against tobacco advertising” people’s initiative, which was approved by voters in 2022. What is your opinion on the need to protect minors from tobacco consumption? Join the discussion on “dialogue”! In Switzerland, tobacco causes 9,500 deaths a year. The health costs for the general public can amount to billions of Swiss francs. On Tuesday, the new Tobacco Products Act came into force. It contains several major changes. First, the new federal law ends the cantonal patchwork of rules on selling cigarettes, snuff, e-cigarettes and other tobacco-linked products. Until now, children have been able to buy cigarettes in the cantons of Schwyz and Appenzell Inner Rhodes, as there was no legal age of consent. In other cantons, potential buyers had to be 16 or 18 years old. Now, with the new Tobacco ...