According to the first official results, voters agreed on Sunday to 54% and a majority of cantons to ban cigarette advertising accessible to children and adolescents.
On (with AFP)
Public health has taken precedence over the tobacco industry in Switzerland. The electorate has given the green light at the polls, Sunday, Feb. 13 to ban advertising tobacco accessible to children and adolescents , according to first official results. Final results are expected in the early evening.
The Federal Chancellery gives the winner yes to 54%, and the majority of cantons, both necessary for the popular initiative be approved. “We are extremely happy. The people still understand that health is more important than economic interests,” said to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Stefanie Borba, of The League against cancer.
The text the popular initiative called “Yes the protection of children and young people against the tobacco advertising “provides for the prohibition of tobacco advertising where children and teenagers can see, for example in the press, on posters or on the Internet at cinema or at events. The same rules must apply to the electronic cigarette. Advertising that target adults, eg in emails, will be allowed.
Legislation far very permissive
Switzerland, where about one in four people smoke, had so far a very permissive legislation in the area of tobacco advertising, particularly because of strong lobbying biggest cigarette of the world, who are installed their headquarters. Nationally, only advertisements on radio and television and those that specifically target minors are currently banned.
And even though some cantons had already tightened their rules and that a new law to take effect in 2023 the fight against smoking groups have estimated that more decisive action was needed to protect young people and launched a popular initiative.
Opponents, including the federal government and the Parliament considered that the initiative went too far. “This means that practically all advertising is prohibited, even for adults. In the name of protecting children, we infantilises adults,” shouted Patrick Spur, campaign spokeswoman non and member of the organization Business Center, in an interview with AFP. It was also the argument of Philip Morris International (PMI), world number one in the sector, which, as British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco, is headquartered in Switzerland.
Switzerland pays a heavy price to smoking, which causes 9500 deaths per year, for a population of 8.6 million. To this are added 400,000 people with chronic smoking-related illness, according to Dr. John Paul Humair, spokesman of the popular initiative.
Refused to ban animal testing
The Swiss were also invited on Sunday to vote on a popular initiative against animal testing. Also according to early results, they refused to ban testing on animals and humans, nearly 80%. No party supported the ban, which, according to the government, would have had serious consequences in health and to the economy in a country where the sector of chemistry and pharmacy represents a little more than half export.