Tobacco

Tobacco consumption is widespread in Switzerland. In 2003 the Federal Office of Health put the number of smokers at about one third of the population aged between 15 and 65. The World Health Organisation's figures for 2002 showed that the Swiss smoked between 6 and 8 cigarettes a day. In Western Europe only the Irish smoked the same, and only the Dutch and Spanish smoked more.

However, the long-term trend in tobacco consumption is downwards. Annual per capita consumption among Swiss aged 16 and over fell from 2644 in 1996 to 2036 in 2005.

Health experts attribute the fall to growing awareness of the health risk and a rise in prices.

Anti-smoking campaigns are gaining ground. The Swiss Federal Railways banned smoking in all their trains in December 2005, and in March 2006 Ticino became the first canton to ban smoking in public places.

The issue was so widely discussed in 2006 that the word Rauchverbot, "smoking ban", was declared word of the year in German speaking Switzerland. It was selected by a jury of journalists from more than 2000 suggestions submitted by the public.

Young people are also smoking less. A survey published in 2007 showed that about 15 per cent of 15-year olds smoked at least once a week, down from 23 per cent in 2002.

Over half of all smokers say they would like to give up.