Title: Switzerland opens consultation on tighter tobacco and nicotine advertising rules, aiming for early-2027 start

Switzerland has launched a formal consultation on new restrictions for tobacco and nicotine advertising, moving toward rules due to take effect in early 2027. The measures implement the “Children and young people without tobacco advertising” initiative approved by voters in 2022, which seeks to ban any tobacco advertising that could be accessed by minors.

After prolonged debate, parliament agreed on a compromise earlier this year. Under the proposed rules, advertising in newspapers and magazines would be banned unless the publication is primarily subscription-based and at least 98% of its readers are adults.

The draft ordinance also sets out stricter age-verification requirements for online ads, e-commerce sales and vending machines. Buyers would need to prove their age with an official physical or digital ID, such as SwissID or the national e-ID.

Additional provisions require event organizers to prevent minors from being exposed to tobacco-sponsored advertising, including mandatory age checks and limiting access to areas where such ads are displayed.

This article was adapted from an original report published on tobaccoreporter.com. All rights belong to the original publisher.