Switzerland

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Switzerland is a landlocked country between Germany, France, Austria, Italy and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Two-thirds of its people speak German with French and Italian also being spoken. The country has a long history of being neutral which has helped in making the country one of the most prosperous in the world. Banking and technology are key industries.

The country has a strong military but is not a member of NATO and is not a member of the European Union. It only became a member of the United Nations in 2002.

Tobacco industry information

A Philip Morris document titled Switzerland Long Range Plan 930000 - 950000 is primarily a marketing plan, but contains sections that describe strategies Philip Morris (PM) planned to use in Switzerland from 1993-95 to defeat smoking restrictions, bans on cigarette advertising, increased cigarette taxes and more.

PM states its rationale for organizing smokers against public health efforts, stating (page -5910): "Smokers, as a consumer group, are today numerically as well as politically, a minority. Furthermore, they lack efficient and powerful organisation for the defence and preservation of their rights and interests. By consequence, it is mainly up to the industry to play this role."

The report also states PM's objective is to "stop the decline, and eventually start rebuilding the social acceptability of smokers and smoking in society." Other objectives were to "lead politicians to reorder their priorities...on and around the S&H [smoking and health] debate," and "Restore and strengthen smokers' confidence." Such corporate objectives were completely at odds with the goals of public health authorities.

PM further had as an ally J.P. Dewalder, a psychology professor at Lausanne University and Director of the Lausanne University Institute of Psychology. Dewalder sent a proposal to PM to do a research project in which he would study "the field of social engineering, mandates for lifestyle modifications...the dynamics of tolerant behaviour in society." PM also planned to use Dewalder as a seemingly independent third party to organize international symposia and spread PM's corporate views on "socio-political themes like tolerance, freedom of speech, the nanny state, health and lifestyle engineering, etc."

Media

The BBC says of the country's media:

Broadcasting is dominated by the public Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR) which operates seven TV networks and 18 radio stations. Most of its funding comes from licence fee revenues; a smaller proportion comes from TV advertising.

Television stations from France, Germany and Italy are widely available, thanks in part to the very high take-up of multi-channel cable and satellite TV. Switzerland's press has full editorial freedom and mainly operates along regional lines which reflect the country's linguistic divisions.

Resources

External articles

• Imogen Foulkes, "Vote takes Switzerland closer to EU", BBC, June 5, 2005.

External resources

• Timeline: Switzerland BBC, accessed January 2008.