Learning from the chaos: Heterogeneous age limits of bans on tobacco sales to young people in Switzerland

Abstract

Aims: Underage sales bans aiming to reduce young people access to tobacco were implemented in most Western countries, yet not everywhere, if at all, in Switzerland. The effect of different age limits on commercial access to tobacco is investigated using data from a naturalistic field study assessing retailers’ compliance with bans forbidding the sale of tobacco to people under the age of 16 and 18 in two Swiss cantons.Method: Applying stratified random sampling procedures, 1823 test purchases with underage ‘mystery clients’ were conducted in 2007, 2009 and 2011.Findings: Age-specific analysis revealed differences in direct retail accessibility of youth under the age of 16, considering age limits and the time since ban implementation. The implementation of more restrictive age limits resulted in a lower overall compliance and slower decrease in violation rates. It is nonetheless expected that in the long term, the level of direct accessibility of people aged less than 16 will be markedly reduced in the more restrictive legal context.Conclusions: Despite poor overall results, longitudinal analysis show potential for real improvement. These findings should be considered in future debates on more ‘pragmatic’ measures at regional or national levels in Switzerland and elsewhere.