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Tag: Switzerland

  • Switzerland Bans Disposable Vapes

    Switzerland Bans Disposable Vapes

    Yesterday (June 4), the Swiss Senate passed a motion to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. The People’s Party and most center-right Radical-Liberals opposed the motion, which passed by a 19 to 11 vote. The motion had already been validated by the House of Representatives in 2024.

    The Federal Council initially opposed the motion, rejecting any ban that would create technical trade barriers. Switzerland should not go it alone, Hannes Germann of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party said, urging pragmatism and pointing out the European Union has no ban on such products.

    However, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider accepted the decision, saying she was aware of the problem. European countries such as France and the United Kingdom have already taken measures, as well as Swiss cantons such as Valais and Jura. The minister admitted that other measures proposed by the government, such as making tax breaks less attractive or setting a higher tax rate, would not have the same effect.  

  • REJO Expanding its HNB to Europe

    REJO Expanding its HNB to Europe

    REJO, a global provider in heat-not-burn solutions, presented a new product, logo, and slogan as it announced its expansion into the European market.

    The company introduced new varieties of its TOZE herbal sticks, inspired by East Asia’s rich tradition of tea-based cigarettes, that combine natural tea fibers, nicotine, and precisely balanced flavors. The sticks are meant to pair with the REJO HS40 heating device.

    “Early market feedback from France, particularly among traditional tobacco retailers, has underscored the growing demand for TOZE products,” the company said in a statement. “Praised for their consistent aroma and reduced smoke odor, TOZE herbal sticks are well-positioned to meet the rising market demand for flavored alternatives.

    “As REJO continues its global expansion, the company remains committed to its mission of redefining the smoking experience through innovation, reliability, and sustainability. With a strong foundation in place and ambitious plans for growth in Europe and beyond, REJO is committed to delivering reliable alternatives that empower consumers to make informed choices about their smoking experience.”

    Headquartered in China, the company says it currently has products available in nearly 10,000 retail outlets across Russia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The company said it will begin its European expansion initially focusing on the Czech Republic and Switzerland. REJO has already secured key EU regulatory approvals, including: Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) registration, Poison Centre Notification (PCN) compliance, and Track-and-Trace registration.

    The company’s new slogan is, “Take a Break. Take REJO.” Its brand redesign features an extended “O” with a petal-like shape and vibrant color palette that, according to the company, “center around a warm, inviting shade of green-symbolizing comfort, relaxation, and a natural connection to the essence of the product.”

  • PM Switzerland Partners to Enhance Visual Merchandising

    PM Switzerland Partners to Enhance Visual Merchandising

    Philip Morris Switzerland, the Swiss affiliate of Philip Morris International, has partnered with LEAFIO AI to enhance its visual merchandising through the implementation of the LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution. The collaboration aims to optimize planogram creation, ensuring improved product placement efficiency, and a seamless shopping experience for retailers and consumers alike.

    “At LEAFIO AI, we are committed to empowering CPG manufacturers with cutting-edge technology,” said Andrew Max, CCO of LEAFIO AI. “Our advanced data-driven solutions improve shelf layouts based on deep analytics and worldwide experience; it will support Philip Morris Switzerland’s diverse retail footprint and enhance operational efficiency by reducing manual efforts and enabling quicker decision-making.”

    According to LEAFIO, the company is going to help Philip Morris Switzerland:

    • Streamline planogram creation and optimization to enhance product placement strategies
    • Automate and standardize visual merchandising for improved consistency across

    retail locations

    • Leverage data-driven insights to ensure data-backed decisions that maximize shelf

    performance

    • Enhance collaboration between manufacturers and retail partners by aligning

    planograms with sales and demand trends

  • Switzerland Continues Tobacco Advertising Debate

    Switzerland Continues Tobacco Advertising Debate

    In 2022, the Swiss people voted to ban “all forms of tobacco advertising accessible to children,” and today the government is closing in on the details of what exactly that entails as it pertains to print media, events, and sponsorships. The Senate called for relaxations of the original law, which the House agreed to and expanded, sending it back to the Senate for its approval.

    The House decided that advertising would be banned in the print media unless it is in an inside section of a publication that is sold mainly through subscription and has a readership of at least 98% adults. It also decided advertising would be permitted for events and sponsorships providing that the materials are neither visible nor accessible to minors.

    Lawmakers also decided to allow tobacco sales by mobile vendors in places accessible to the public that may be frequented by minors, provided that it is guaranteed that the advertising is neither visible nor accessible to minors. The Senate did not consider it necessary to restrict this activity.

  • Swiss Airports See All-Time High in Cigarette Smuggling 

    Swiss Airports See All-Time High in Cigarette Smuggling 

    Cigarette smuggling at Swiss airports increased by nearly 28% in 2024, with the majority of the illicit products coming from Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Republic of Congo, with most apparently intended to be sold in France. Customs officials discovered 880,000 undeclared cigarettes last year, up from 690,000 in 2023.

    More than 700,000 undeclared cigarettes were seized at Geneva Airport. All foreign couriers stopped while traveling were fined, and those found to be commercial smugglers were banned from entry. Unpaid fines were converted to days in prison for smugglers.

    As examples, customs officials pointed to one day when a 35-year-old Egyptian man was caught with 44,840 cigarettes (220 cartons), and later that day a 25-year-old Greek man had 47,360 cigarettes (235 cartons) in his luggage.

  • Tobacco Violates Human Rights: Report

    Tobacco Violates Human Rights: Report

    Photo: Corgarashu

    OxySuisse and Action on Smoking and Health accuse the tobacco industry of violating human rights and Swiss authorities of complacency, reports SWI. Switzerland hosts the headquarters of Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International.

    In a recent report, the nongovernmental organizations analyze the tobacco industry’s behavior from a human rights perspective. In their paper, the authors assert that the tobacco industry is incompatible with fundamental human rights. The production and marketing of addictive and deadly products, they argue, infringes the right to health, the right to life and the right to a healthy environment, OxySuisse says.

    Despite suffering around 9,500 smoking-related deaths annually, Switzerland lags far behind its peers in the fight against smoking, ranking 36 out of 37 European countries, notes OxySuisse.

    This discrepancy can be explained by the weight of the tobacco industry in the Swiss Confederation, according to the nongovernmental organization. “The presence in Switzerland of two of the country’s influential tobacco multinationals is one of the reasons for the failure to implement effective smoking prevention policies,” Michela Canevascini, director of OxySuisse, told Swiss public television on Oct. 8.

    Switzerland, she noted, prioritizes the commercial interests of these companies at the expense of the Swiss population’s health.

  • Switzerland Implements National Age Restrictions

    Switzerland Implements National Age Restrictions

    Photo: Lucia

    Switzerland has enacted a new federal law requiring all cantons to restrict the sale of tobacco products to adults, reports SWI.

    The new tobacco products act ends the cantonal patchwork of rules on cigarettes and tobacco-related products.

    Before Oct. 1, when the new law took effect, the cantons of Schwyz and Appenzell Innerrhoden had no age restrictions on tobacco sales. In other cantons, potential buyers had to be 16 or 18 years old.

    The new federal law also restricts advertising. Tobacco advertisements are no longer permitted on public property, and on private property only if they cannot be seen from public property. Events aimed at minors are no longer permitted to have tobacco sponsors. Free promotional gifts related to tobacco consumption are also no longer permitted.

    Public smoking restrictions now apply to all tobacco products.

    It remains unclear however how the federal law will be implemented as enforcement remains the responsibility of individual cantons.

  • Senate Insists on Exceptions to Ad Ban

    Senate Insists on Exceptions to Ad Ban

    Photo: swisshippo

    The Swiss Senate is insisting on exceptions to nationwide restrictions on tobacco advertising poised to take force, reports Swissinfo.

    In a 2022 ballot, a majority of voters and most of the country’s cantons backed a proposal to ban all tobacco and e-cigarette advertising that may reach young people in Switzerland.

    Both chambers of Parliament are now debating how to implement the successful popular initiative.

    On Sept. 16, the Senate approved the bill by 28 votes to 12 with four abstentions. However, lawmakers stopped short of a comprehensive ban by maintaining exceptions for tobacco advertising in public places that are neither accessible nor visible to minors and for mobile sales staff in publicly accessible places.

    The ball is now back in the House of Representatives’ court.

  • Switzerland to Tighten Tobacco Rules

    Switzerland to Tighten Tobacco Rules

    Photo: Heorshe

    Switzerland will strengthen its restriction on tobacco advertising and nicotine product notification requirements effective Oct. 1, reports Swissinfo.

    The new rules include a nationwide ban on sales to people under the age of 18 and stricter advertising restrictions, for example on posters, on public transport, in cinemas, in publicly accessible buildings such as train stations and airports and on sports grounds.

    Existing smoking bans will now also apply to heated products and electronic cigarettes.

    Sponsorship of events with an international character or for an underage audience is no longer permitted.

    Cigarette manufacturers will also be required to print pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging

  • Smoking Rates Still High in Switzerland

    Smoking Rates Still High in Switzerland

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Nearly a quarter of Switzerland’s population (24 percent) smoked in 2022, down 3 percentage points from the rate in 2017, reports Le News, citing new data from the Federal Statistical Office. The decline in smoking is a relatively new phenomenon in Switzerland. In 1992, 30 percent of the population aged 15 and over reported smoking.

    The reduction has been most pronounced among educated people. In 2022, Swiss without post-compulsory education smoked more frequently and more heavily than those who had completed a university or higher vocational education. This distinction too is new. Thirty years ago, there were hardly any differences in smoking by level of education.

    New types of tobacco products or e-cigarettes are particularly popular among younger people, consumed by 17 percent of 15- to 24-year-olds in 2022.

    Despite the recent declines, Swiss smoking rates remain high compared with many other nations. Rates in the U.K. (14 percent), Norway (14 percent), Canada (12 percent) and Australia (13 percent) are far lower.  

    Meanwhile, public smoking remains widely tolerated in Switzerland. Many smokers will light up on train platforms, where it is largely banned, at bus stops or while seated at outside restaurant tables.