A recently published study shows that 41.4% of 14 and 15 year old smokers in Switzerland have already bought their own cigarettes from a shop, supermarket, kiosque, bar, restaurant or vending machine. The rate was higher in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland (45.0%) than in German-speaking Switzerland (39.4%), and higher for boys (45.2%) than for girls […]
Swiss health insurance deductibles to rise automatically
Today, Switzerland’s parliament decided to bring in a system of regular increases in the deductibles for basic compulsory Swiss health insurance, according to the newspaper Le Matin. However, a plan to raise the the minimum deductible to CHF 500 was rejected by a clear majority. Between 1996 and 2004, the minimum deductible went from CHF […]
Question of the week: should everyone pay for costly individual choices?
Before it becomes an addiction, smoking is a choice. Smoking costs Switzerland around CHF 10 billion a year. Tobacco taxes, which raise around CHF 2 billion a year are used to pay disability welfare. The annual healthcare costs related to tobacco in Switzerland are around CHF 1.7 billion, more than CHF 200 per resident. However, […]
Poor air quality in two thirds of Swiss classrooms
A recent study by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) estimates that the air quality in two thirds of Swiss classrooms is inadequate. The main problem is the build up of CO2. High CO2 concentration affects the concentration of those in the room. It can also provoke head aches and lethargy. The study, which […]
Cost of winter sports accidents up 70 percent in Switzerland
According to figures published by the assurer SUVA, the cost of winter sports accidents has risen by 70% over the last 15 years. Around a quarter of Switzerland’s population partake in snow sport. Every year around 33,000 people living in Switzerland, who are insured for accidents via their employer, are hurt while skiing or snowboarding. […]
Campaign launched for a pesticide-free Switzerland
On Monday, a referendum in Switzerland aiming to ban the use of all synthetic pesticides was launched. The popular vote, which collected the required 100,000 signatures in 2016, is scheduled for 2020, according to RTS. The pesticides that would be banned include glyphosate and neonicotinoids, a group of chemicals known to kill bees. Vote organisers […]
Drug makers paid Swiss doctors 12.5 million francs in 2017
Since 2016, drug makers have voluntarily published the amounts they pay to Swiss doctors, many of whom prescribe drugs to patients. In 2017 the sum was CHF 12.5 million, according to the association Science Industries. In 2016, the same figure was CHF 14 million. While drug makers publish the amounts paid, the information published does […]
Switzerland an ideal environment for the sale and consumption of drugs
A recent report by Addiction Suisse says Switzerland has created the ideal environment for the sale and consumption of drugs. The report points out the easy availability of drugs in Switzerland. It says illegal drugs can be found quickly, easily and cheaply in Swiss cities. In addition, legal drugs are available around the clock in […]
Sick animal meat ends up in restaurants
Last weekend, government staff from numerous EU countries were running around trying to find the meat of potentially sick animals illegally slaughtered in Poland and sold across the EU, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. While the hunt to identify the meat and pull it from shop shelves was underway, authorities in Poland confirmed that […]
Swiss health authority now recommends vaccinating against tick borne encephalitis
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) issued a statement recommending vaccination against tick borne encephalitis for those living in or visiting nearly all of Switzerland. The vaccination is recommended for all people exposed to ticks in Switzerland and anyone living in or visiting any Swiss canton other than the cantons of Geneva […]
