Flop of the week: Advertising ban for smoking establishments

The current ordinance on protection against passive smoking stipulates that the labeling of smoking establishments must not be of an advertising nature. Swiss Advertising (SW) has now submitted a statement to the FOPH, as the ordinance violates the legal standard in numerous points, is ideologically tinged and has a patronizing effect. Instead of protecting non-smokers, the aim is an actual and far-reaching ban on consumption, according to the SW. The communication industry is specifically affected in its role by Article 4 paragraph 2, which stipulates that the labeling of smoking establishments must not have an advertising character. The SW clearly rejects this passage: "Either these premises comply with the legal provisions and are therefore legal or they are not. It is not understandable why legally operating rooms should not be advertised." It is incomprehensible to what extent an effective advertising label and declaration could cause harm to a non-smoker. After all, no non-smoker would be tempted to enter a smoking establishment by an advertisement, no matter how attractive it was.