FILIP MORRIS INCLOUSE YOUR POLICIES IN SWITZERLAND GENEVA

Philip Morris and other tobacco corporations waged successful campaigns to undermine the introduction in Switzerland aimed at protecting the health of measures, including the introduction of smoke-free areas in restaurants and offices and ban tobacco advertising, said the just published report. Switzerland was the first country in which the study was conducted after the Committee for the World Health Organization last year recommended that more studies on how tobacco companies interfere in the policies of individual countries. The report was largely based on documents declassified company Philip Morris by a court in the state of M innesota. According to a report in Switzerland with a population of 7 million, more than 10000 people die every year from smoking-related diseases. In 1980, approximately 37% of Swiss smoked. This figure fell to 31% in 1992, but rose again to 33% in 1997, with a constantly increasing proportion of women smokers and teenagers. Excise tax on tobacco in Switzerland is only 50% - is the lowest tax in Western Europe. The report says that international tobacco control laws in the country "weak" and that "the protection of non-smokers from tobacco smoke virtually non-existent". The tobacco industry has tried to influence policy on smoking in airplanes through the sponsorship of the International Association for World Congresses Styuardess, said the report. However, the airline Swissair still banned smoking on all its flights in 1997, but after other airlines. In 1994, Swiss Federal Railways completely abolished the decision to make regional trains smoke-free for a trial period - under the influence of the company Philip Morris. Swiss referenda to ban advertising of alcohol and tobacco suffered defeat in 1979 and 1993, largely thanks to a massive campaign of the tobacco industry, mobilized advertising industry and the media in their support. The report says that the country's health advocates underestimated the power of the tobacco industry, and they need to pay much more attention to its tactics.