The “Children Without Tobacco” initiative adopted on Sunday overshoots the mark because it also largely bans advertising for adults. But the population was not receptive to such arguments – also because of the bad No campaign.
The campaign for the “Children Without Tobacco” initiative won over a majority of voters.
For decades, popular health policy initiatives had no chance at the ballot box, but now the voters and the estates have already accepted the second within a few months: the massive yes to the care initiative in November was followed this Sunday by the equally clear yes to the “Children without tobacco” initiative. This will give Switzerland much more restrictive rules for tobacco advertising.
Cigarette campaigns at points of sale or open air events are prohibited in the future, as are newspaper advertisements. According to the text of the initiative, exceptions are possible if no minors are reached. But because there are young people at every kiosk and at every music festival and they occasionally glance at a newspaper, it amounts to a general advertising ban. The initiative thus goes beyond the goal of protecting minors.
Legal advertising for legal products
From a public health perspective, one could welcome it if adults were less tempted by advertising to consume the potentially morbid and deadly drug. But there is something duplicitous about this: Hardly anyone questions the fact that cigarettes can be obtained legally by consenting adults. Accordingly, advertising for such products should also remain permitted.
Especially since the campaigns targeting over 25-year-olds are actually less about getting abstainers to smoke. It’s about attracting existing smokers from brand A to brand B. Or to encourage them to switch to e-cigarettes and vaporizers, which is to be welcomed from a medical point of view: According to all current knowledge, the new products are less harmful to health.
Miserable no campaign
However, this argument obviously failed to convince the electorate. This is also because the campaign of the middle-class No Committee was miserable. The warning that a vote in favor of the tobacco initiative would automatically ban advertising for other unhealthy products such as cervelats or carrot cakes is grotesquely exaggerated. The difference between tobacco and fat or sugar is too obvious. These substances are also harmful in excess, but the body needs them. Young people certainly do not have to be protected from the national sausage.
However, the tobacco lobby brought the vote slap in the face to a large extent itself. She always preaches how important the protection of minors is to her. In reality, however, she uses every regulatory gap to address a young audience, her customers of the future. For example with influencers who make their 16-year-old fans believe that smoking or vaping is simply part of discovering the wide world.
The tobacco companies in Switzerland produce cigarettes for the African market, which are so addictive and poisonous that they are not allowed to be sold here. Why should you believe an industry that cares about the well-being of young people in Switzerland when it doesn’t give a damn about the well-being of young people in Morocco for reasons of profit? After numerous revelations about their business in recent decades, cigarette manufacturers have a serious credibility problem.
The prevention lobby rejoices
Even after the initiative is implemented, Switzerland will have one of the most lenient anti-tobacco laws in Europe. If the tobacco industry, which is an economic factor that should not be underestimated, especially in French-speaking Switzerland, does not want to completely squander this political goodwill, it should quickly stop encouraging young people to smoke. And getting serious about switching to “healthier” electrical products.
Otherwise the prevention lobby will soon come up with further demands, such as a massive price increase for tobacco products. This Sunday showed that you can convince the people with such ideas.