Tobacco industry in Switzerland

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Philip Morris International operational headquarters in Lausanne. Philip Morris International Lausanne (2).jpg
Philip Morris International operational headquarters in Lausanne.
Philip Morris International research and development centre in Neuchatel. PMI cube.jpg
Philip Morris International research and development centre in Neuchâtel.
Japan Tobacco International headquarters in Geneva. Geneve Secheron - 04.jpg
Japan Tobacco International headquarters in Geneva.

The tobacco industry in Switzerland is characterised by cultivation of tobacco, as well as significant presence of factories and headquarters of Big Tobacco.

Contents

History

In the 18th century, the first Swiss tobacco factories were established. [4]

Most cigarette manufacturers (such as Fivaz, Frossard, Burrus [5] , Vautier [6] , Rinsoz [7] , Ormond, Burger [8] , Wuhrmann, Brissago and Davidoff) have been bought out by Big Tobacco. [4] For instance, in 1963, the Fabriques de tabac réunies were acquired by Philip Morris International. [9] [10] Villiger Sons remain independent. [2] [4]

Between 1962 and the 1990s, the 'Scientific Commission' of the Swiss Cigarette Manufacturers Association was involved in public relations and lobbying. [11] It also organized pro-tobacco scientific meetings opposing public health regulations. [11]

The number of hectares of tobacco cultivated has halved in 50 years, from 1,100 hectares in 1960 to 517 in 2011. [4] The number of growers has fallen sixfold in 30 years, from 1,200 in 1978 to 209 in 2011. [4]

In 2023, British American Tobacco closed its Swiss factory (which was located in Boncourt [3] ) and transferred the production to bigger factories in Europe. [12]

Impact

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force in 2005. It has been ratified by 181 countries (in orange on the map), but not yet by Switzerland. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.svg
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force in 2005. It has been ratified by 181 countries (in orange on the map), but not yet by Switzerland.

The heavy presence of tobacco industry multinational corporation is partly explained by Swiss legislation, generally attractive to businesses and specifically with weaker tobacco regulation than the European Union and the United States. [3] [10] [13] Also, the industry’s operations were thus immune from United States judiciary investigations. [10] Another likely factor is the presence of the World Health Organization in Geneva, which promotes tobacco control and which the industry is trying to influence. [3]

Switzerland is one of the few countries which is not part of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [2] [10] (together with handful of tobacco-growing states, such as Argentina, Malawi and the United States [3] ). The tobacco industry has a significant influence on Swiss policy. [2] [3] [10] [14]

According to the Tobacco Control Scale 2021, Switzerland is second to last in Europe with regard to the implementation of tobacco control policies. [2] The country is second to last in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, one of the worst records in this regard. [2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Soule, Alexander (23 June 2021). "A decade after UST departure, Big Tobacco returns to CT". Stamford Advocate . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pauline Turuban (4 December 2025). "World fights nicotine addiction but Switzerland continues to drag feet". Swissinfo . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frédéric Burnand (3 October 2018). "Switzerland: the land of the tobacco industry". Swissinfo . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tobacco" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  5. ↑ "Henry Burrus" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  6. ↑ "Vautier" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  7. ↑ "Rinsoz" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  8. ↑ "Burger" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  9. ↑ "Fabriques de tabac réunies" in German , French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland .
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Pascal Diethelm (15 February 2019). "Switzerland, a haven for the tobacco industry". Journal of Public Health Policy . 40: 266–270. doi: 10.1057/s41271-019-00162-9 . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  11. 1 2 Jacques Olivier; Jacques Cornuz; Carole Clair (7 June 2017). "La Commission scientifique de l'Association suisse des fabricants de cigarettes : un aperçu historique [The Scientific Commission of the Swiss Cigarette Manufacturers Association: a historical overview]". Revue médicale suisse . 556 (13): 1198–1205. doi: 10.53738/REVMED.2017.13.566.1198 . PMID   28640566 . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "BAT cigarette factory closure to have 'painful consequences' for Jura region". Swissinfo . 15 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  13. ↑ Michela Canevascini; Kuendig Hervé; Claudia Véron; Myriam Pasche (10 June 2015). "Publicité et promotion des produits du tabac et des cigarettes électroniques [Advertising and promotion of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes]". Revue médicale suisse . 478 (11): 1288–1294. doi: 10.53738/REVMED.2015.11.478.1288 . PMID   26211086 . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  14. ↑ Pauline Turuban (14 February 2022). "Why Switzerland has one of the world's strongest tobacco lobbies". Swissinfo . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
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