E-cigarettes in Switzerland

Switzerland: Following the adoption of the people’s initiative “Children without Tobacco”, which calls for a ban on tobacco and vaping advertising aimed at children and adolescents, the Federal Office of Public Health has presented a fact sheet revealing that the advertising ban set down in the Tobacco Products Act is to be extended to all print media and points-of-sale. Online advertising will remain legal as long as an age-verification system is in place. The initiative is expected to be implemented in 2026.

Switzerland: The National Council Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxation has submitted a motion calling on the Federal Council to draft a report on the taxation of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. It says the report should address issues such as the categorisation of new products, the impact of taxes on the black market, and tax adjustments based on average market prices. Earlier this year, during a debate on amending the Tobacco Tax Act, the Committee for Social Security and Health called for a tax on all e-cigarettes and for e-liquids to be taxed according to their nicotine content. The current bill sets a rate of CHF0.20 (€0.20) rate per ml of nicotine-containing e-liquid for reusable e-cigarettes and CHF1 (€1) per ml for disposable e-cigarettes, regardless of nicotine content.

Switzerland: A study conducted last year by the Swiss Addiction Foundation, funded by the Federal Office of Public Health, and involving 9,345 students found 7% of girls and 8% of boys aged 15 had used e-cigarettes in the preceding 30 days. The foundation is urging the government to take measures on advertising, sales, price, packaging and flavours.

Switzerland: National Council member Christophe Clivaz of the opposition Green Party has submitted a motion calling for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes. His motion, citing ecological harm and high risk of addiction, was supported by members of the government parties, the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the Liberals (FDP), the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party (SP).

Switzerland: The upper house of the Federal Assembly, the Council of States, has approved by 40 votes to one an amendment to the Tobacco Tax Act to tax e-cigarettes. The rate would be CHF0.20 (€0.20) per ml of nicotine-containing e-liquid for reusable e-cigarettes and CHF1 per ml for disposable e-cigarettes, regardless of nicotine content. The amendment will now be discussed by the lower house, the National Council.

Switzerland: The Great Council of the Canton of Ticino has approved an amendment of the Health Promotion and Health Coordination Act to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s and extend the ban on indoor smoking to e-cigarettes. Switzerland has no federal law restricting e-cig sales to minors, but some cantons, including Basel, Bern and Geneva, have imposed their own rules.

Switzerland: Today, 30th November, is the last day of the consultation on the draft bill to amend the Tobacco Products Act. The amendment, which was submitted for consultation after a majority of voters backed the Children Without Tobacco referendum proposal to ban all tobacco and e-cigarette advertising accessible to children and young people. The preliminary draft is expected to be sent to Parliament for revision in the first half of 2023.

Switzerland: The Federal Council has approved an amendment to the Federal Law on Tobacco Taxation, taxing e-liquids at a rate that takes into account the lesser harmfulness of e-cigarettes relative to combustible tobacco. The proposed tax rate is CHF0.20 (€0.20) per ml for rechargeable cigarettes and CHF1 per ml for disposables. The proposal, which took into consideration the comments of both industry and authorities, will now be submitted to Parliament.

Switzerland: The Federal Council has submitted for consultation a draft bill to amend the Tobacco Products Act after a majority of voters in a referendum in February supported a proposal by the campaign group Children Without Tobacco to prevent tobacco and vaping advertising from reaching children and young people. The ban would include advertising in newspapers, at open-air events and online. The consultation will remain open until 30th November and the government expects the preliminary draft to be submitted to the Federal Assembly in the first half of 2023.