Every 2nd Swiss takes up smoking - subsidized by the state

Almost one in two smokers is afraid of contracting a tobacco-related disease. If this happens, however, they can be sure of the solidarity of their fellow citizens: 59 percent of the Swiss think it is right that the general public should pay for these self-inflicted health costs. This is shown by a representative survey of the Internet comparison service comparis.ch. Of the 47 percent of Swiss who consume cigarettes, 36 percent smoke daily and 11 percent occasionally take up the cigarette. The fewest smokers are in Ticino, where a total of only 43 percent indulge in tobacco. In western and German-speaking Switzerland, the figures are slightly higher, at 48 and 47 percent respectively.

Young Swiss: Cannabis less bad than cigarettes

Around one-third of young Swiss people (34 percent of 18- to 35-year-olds) think it is less bad to smoke cannabis than conventional cigarettes. This proportion decreases rapidly with advancing age. Among 36- to 55-year-olds, the figure is still 29 percent, and just 22 percent among those aged up to 74.

Smoking despite fear of tobacco-related diseases

That the Tobacco pleasure can cause serious damage to health.n, smokers are well aware of. For example, 42 percent of them fear contracting a smoker's leg or another tobacco-related ailment. This fear is most pronounced among women, at 45 percent. In contrast, 61 percent of male smokers say that they are not worry about their health despite smoking. Interesting: smokers in the French-speaking part of Switzerland seem to have a markedly stronger health awareness (47 percent worry about possible tobacco-related diseases) than their German-speaking Swiss counterparts with only 38 percent. For Comparis health expert Felix Schneuwly, these findings are not surprising: "We humans are masters at systematically downplaying dangers. This is especially true for health risks that are related to personal addictive behavior and only threaten in the longer term."

Smokers can rely on the solidarity of the general public

If a smoker falls ill with a tobacco-related disease, he or she can rely on the financial solidarity of the general public thanks to mandatory health insurance. And at first glance, this seems to be firmly anchored among the population: 59 percent of all Swiss believe that the general public should pay for these health care costs despite self-infliction. If you only ask smokers, an overwhelming 83 percent see it that way.

But the picture is completely different among non-smokers. Sixty percent of them are of the opinion that those who deliberately risk their health by smoking are also responsible for the resulting health problems. Health care costs should pay for it. Felix Schneuwly thinks this solidarity is positive: "Anyone who is ill should not also be financially punished. Conversely, however, the federal government should give health insurance companies more leeway to reward health-conscious behavior with premium discounts.

Swiss call for end to government tobacco subsidy

In view of the known health risks of tobacco consumption, two-thirds of the population demand that tobacco cultivation in Switzerland no longer be subsidized. Today, each smoker pays 2.6 centimes per pack into a government-imposed tobacco fund (SOTA), which is distributed among tobacco producers - in addition to the Direct paymentswhich tobacco farmers receive from the Federal Office for Agriculture.

More than a third of all respondents (35 percent) are even in favor of a complete ban on tobacco plant cultivation. "The fact that smokers subsidize domestic tobacco cultivation is basically fine," says Felix Schneuwly, criticizing at the same time, "but if non-smokers also have to support Swiss tobacco farmers via direct payments, that's not acceptable from a health policy perspective.

Info: comparis.ch