One in four Swiss smokes cigarettes and one in five drinks alcohol in amounts that could be hazardous to health, according to a report on addiction. Advocacy organisations argue that the government is giving in to special interests and has not done enough to address the situation.

Kai Reusser

swissinfo.ch

In this graphic, the top and bottom countries have recorded the highest and lowest amounts or percentages, according to the OECD.

More than half of those Swiss who smoke want to quit, according to Addiction Switzerland. A quarter of a million Swiss had alcohol addiction problems, it said.

“Politicians accept the status quo in order to defend special interests,” said spokesperson Markus Meury, pointing to lobbying efforts that recently helped kill an attempted ban on cigarette advertising.

An effort to ban the sale of alcohol after a certain time of night also failed in parliament in 2016. Some 1,600 people die of alcohol abuse in Switzerland every year.

Addiction Switzerland also highlighted that cannabis consumption is not regulated the same way in all cantons, with law enforcement officials reacting differently to the law. Under a 2013 law, anyone over 18 caught in possession of up to ten grams of cannabis will receive a CHF100 ($100) fine and avoid having a criminal record. 

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative