Tobacco and nicotine products in Switzerland: a national analysis of market notifications
- 1Department of Health Promotion and Prevention, Unisanté, University Center for Primary Care and Public Health & University of Lausanne
Abstract
Since the mid-2000s, the tobacco and nicotine products market has undergone rapid diversification. Since 2024, the Federal Act on Tobacco Products modernized the Swiss product notification system through the mandatory use of the electronic platform Tabacinfo.ch. This study aims to describe the scope, evolution and characteristics of tobacco and nicotine products notified on the Swiss market as of 2026. The number of notified products increased from 2,460 in 2000 to 9,857 in January 2026. Electronic cigarettes represent 51% of all notifications ( n = 5,032), followed by smoking tobacco products (40%; n = 3,956), other products (6%; n = 590), nicotine products for oral use (2%; n = 200) and heated tobacco products (1%; n = 79). Cigars are the most frequently notified product ( n = 3,102). Cigarette notifications remained limited, reflecting a market concentrated around major tobacco companies and supermarket brands. Flavor descriptors among electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and snus are dominated by cooling-, mint- and fruit-related terms. Several descriptors that may be particularly appealing to young people were identified (e.g. lemonade, cola and candy). Most nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes are concentrated between 17 and 20 mg/mL, whereas nicotine pouch concentrations vary widely from 1.5 to 30 mg per pouch. Switzerland remains a distinctive case in Europe, with comparatively weak regulations that may facilitate the availability and attractiveness of a wide range of addictive nicotine products. These results document products on the market and may inform policymaking. Strengthening tobacco control measures, particularly regarding flavors, nicotine concentration and product-specific exemptions, would reduce exposure to harmful products and limit their appeal, especially among young people.
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BibTeX
@article{cros2026tobacco,
title = {{Tobacco and nicotine products in Switzerland: a national analysis of market notifications}},
author = {Jérémy Cros and Karin Zürcher and Luc Lebon},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1876332},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1876332/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Tobacco and nicotine products in Switzerland: a national analysis of market notifications
AU - Jérémy Cros
AU - Karin Zürcher
AU - Luc Lebon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1876332
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1876332/full
AB - Since the mid-2000s, the tobacco and nicotine products market has undergone rapid diversification. Since 2024, the Federal Act on Tobacco Products modernized the Swiss product notification system through the mandatory use of the electronic platform Tabacinfo.ch. This study aims to describe the scope, evolution and characteristics of tobacco and nicotine products notified on the Swiss market as of 2026. The number of notified products increased from 2,460 in 2000 to 9,857 in January 2026. Electronic cigarettes represent 51% of all notifications ( n = 5,032), followed by smoking tobacco products (40%; n = 3,956), other products (6%; n = 590), nicotine products for oral use (2%; n = 200) and heated tobacco products (1%; n = 79). Cigars are the most frequently notified product ( n = 3,102). Cigarette notifications remained limited, reflecting a market concentrated around major tobacco companies and supermarket brands. Flavor descriptors among electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and snus are dominated by cooling-, mint- and fruit-related terms. Several descriptors that may be particularly appealing to young people were identified (e.g. lemonade, cola and candy). Most nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes are concentrated between 17 and 20 mg/mL, whereas nicotine pouch concentrations vary widely from 1.5 to 30 mg per pouch. Switzerland remains a distinctive case in Europe, with comparatively weak regulations that may facilitate the availability and attractiveness of a wide range of addictive nicotine products. These results document products on the market and may inform policymaking. Strengthening tobacco control measures, particularly regarding flavors, nicotine concentration and product-specific exemptions, would reduce exposure to harmful products and limit their appeal, especially among young people.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -