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It has been two years since Swiss voters voted in favor of stricter rules on tobacco advertising – against the wishes of the Federal Council and Parliament. The dispute over the implementation of the initiative is now raging in parliament.
Health workers are worried. In a letter, a committee of experts affiliated with the Federal Office for Public Health (BAG) addressed the National Council members and spoke to their conscience. Parliamentarians must be asked to respect the will of the people, writes the Federal Commission for Questions on Addiction and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (EKSN) in the letter with the letterhead of the Confederation.
The Council of States is only implementing the initiative in half a batch
The National Council will decide on the new tobacco law next week. The Council of States had already agreed to this last autumn and watered down the Federal Council’s proposal on important points. Tobacco manufacturers, for example, must be able to continue to sponsor events such as festivals and offer their products ‘through mobile sales staff’. The Council of States also wants to exempt cigars and cigarillos from the advertising ban. The initiative aims to ban any form of advertising for tobacco products that reaches children and young people.
The Health Committee of the National Council recommends that its council adopt most of the changes decided by the small chamber. This is despite the fact that a report by the BAG also concluded that the proposal of the Council of States is not constitutional on a number of points.
If the National Council follows the proposals, individual provisions on tobacco advertising and sponsorship would be even weaker than in the current law, the EKSN warns in a press release. She appeals to the National Council: if you accept these proposals, you will violate the constitution. The popular initiative must be implemented consistently so that children and young people are better protected. (lha)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
