Until now, children have been able to buy cigarettes in the cantons of Schwyz and Appenzell Innerrhoden as there was no legal age of consent. Meanwhile, in other cantons, potential buyers had to be 16 or 18 years old. Now everyone has to be of legal age to buy tobacco products.
The new federal law also restricts advertising. Tobacco advertisements are no longer permitted on public property, and on private property only if they cannot be seen from public property. Events aimed at minors are no longer permitted to have tobacco sponsors. Free promotional gifts related to tobacco consumption are also no longer permitted.
Smoking electronic cigarettes at the station will also be restricted and will only be permitted in designated smoking areas. The rules against passive smoking now apply to all tobacco products.
However, it is still unclear how the national tobacco products law will be implemented, how high the fines will be, and whether or not there will be controls, which falls under the responsibility of the cantons.
Translated from German by DeepL/mga
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Group seeks home for historic Battle of Murten panorama painting
This content was published on
A group of enthusiasts is seeking a new home for the monumental historic "Battle of Murten" painting that depicts the victory of the Swiss cantons over the Duke of Burgundy in 1476.
Measures against Swiss ‘signatures scam’ appear to have an effect
This content was published on
The measures taken to prevent forged signatures being used for people's initiatives in Switzerland appear to be having an impact.
Swiss political party opposes free trade deal with US
This content was published on
Leaders of the left-wing Social Democratic Party in Switzerland say they are against the idea of a free trade agreement with the United States.
Study reports 12 female CEOs in top 100 Swiss companies
This content was published on
More women are in management and on the board of directors at the largest Swiss companies than ever before. But they remain a clear minority, a new report shows.
Geneva to host conference on Middle East conflict on March 7
This content was published on
A conference on the situation of civilians living in the Israeli occupied territories will take place in Geneva on March 7, the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed.
Swiss central bank chief rejects holding bitcoin in reserves
This content was published on
Swiss National Bank (SNB) President Martin Schlegel rejects the idea that the central bank should hold part of its reserves in bitcoin, as proposed by a people's initiative.
The legal changes that come into force in Switzerland on March 1
This content was published on
On March 1, a number of legal changes come into force relating to self-driving cars, increased imports of grain and lower electricity usage costs. Here is an overview.
Swiss president condemns Russian aggression and calls for peace in Ukraine
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has reaffirmed Switzerland's commitment to a "just and lasting" peace in Ukraine, while condemning Russian aggression.
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.