In its 2019 health report published on Tuesday, the Swiss Federal Statistical OfficeExternal link noted that nearly 40,500 people were diagnosed with cancer in Switzerland every year between 2011 and 2015. That’s about 2,000 cases more than the annual average five years prior. The increase is primarily due to the fact that the population is getting older.
The risk of dying from cancer, on the other hand, has not increased; in fact, the odds have gone down, reported the statistics office. Within the past 30 years, the standardized mortality rate has fallen by 27% for women and 37% for men. This means that the risk of a woman in Switzerland dying of cancer is now a quarter lower than it was for a woman in the same age group 30 years ago. For men, the difference is even more than a third.
Toking teenagers
The report also shows that cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Switzerland has increased significantly within ten years. In 2017, 9% of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 reported having used cannabis in the past month.
Ten years earlier, there were fewer regular cannabis users in this age group (6%). Among young men, the figure in 2017 was 12% – twice as frequent as among young women.
Drinking alcohol is more common among adolescents and young adults than cannabis use. Among 15-24-year-olds surveyed in 2017, 27% said they got drunk at least once a month. Here, too, the proportion was higher among young men (30%) than among young women (24%).
More
More
Swiss health commission calls for legalisation of cannabis
This content was published on
A Swiss government commission has called for cannabis to be decriminalised and for the market to be regulated in the Alpine country.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss cancer research yields breast-saving fat, better detection
This content was published on
The incidence of breast cancer in Switzerland is high, but research offers hope – especially the finding that cancer cells can be converted into fat.
Swiss researchers decode cell receptor in cancer metastasis
This content was published on
Researchers in Switzerland have deciphered the structure of a cell receptor, unlocking new hope for the prevention of metastasis of certain cancers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.