Swiss Parliament Rejects Blanket Bans on Menthols and Adverts

As per the new regulations, poster advertising of tobacco products and e-cigarettes that can be seen from public places, as well as advertising in cinemas, on public transport, in buildings and on sports fields, will be banned. Sponsorship is to be prohibited for events in Switzerland if they have an international character or are aimed at a young audience.

On the other hand to the dismay of many, the House of Representatives has agreed with the Senate in rejecting a ban on menthol cigarettes. They argued that a menthol ban would mean that about a quarter of tobacco products produced in Switzerland could no longer be manufactured.

Menthol bans decrease smoking rates

Meanwhile, in line with arguments by countless health experts, research has shown that Canada’s menthol ban has had a positive effect on local smoking cessation rates. Canada was one of the first countries to implement a ban on menthols, and the first country where such a ban has been evaluated. To examine the menthol ban impact, Geoffrey Fong, from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project and his colleagues, surveyed nearly 1,100 non-menthol and 138 menthol smokers in 2016 (before the ban), and after the ban in 2018, across seven Canadian provinces, covering 83% of the Canadian population.

Moreover, the research team found that menthol smokers were much more likely to attempt quitting smoking than non-menthol smokers following the ban, at 59% versus 49%. They also found that  menthols’ daily smokers were nearly two times more likely than non-menthols’ daily smokers to quit after the ban, at 21% versus over 11%.

Read Further: Swissinfo.CH

Study: Menthol Cigarette Smokers Have A Harder Time Quitting