The Citizens’ Assembly, a group of citizens chosen at random to discuss and find common ground on contentious issues, has backed a proposal to introduce a tax on sugary foods and drinks as part of a broader push to improve public health in Switzerland. The measure is one of six reforms endorsed by the 100-member body.
The Assembly presented six proposals for reform in the areas of health promotion and prevention, which were negotiated in a five-month long process involving 100 randomly selected people from across Switzerland’s linguistic regions. They reflect the reforms that the population considers particularly urgent in order to promote health and reduce healthcare costs in the long term.
The package also calls for higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco, aiming to reduce consumption through price disincentives. In a statement released on Tuesday, the assembly said such levies would help make unhealthy choices less attractive.
The most strongly supported proposal was to enhance health literacy throughout life. The aim is to help people make more informed choices around diet, physical activity, and mental well-being through expanded education and better training for health professionals.
The assembly also recommends the introduction of a national health law, the creation of a national centre for health promotion and prevention, and new public-awareness campaigns to highlight health issues.
Several legislative options were considered, including training on nutrition and food-label literacy. The group further advocated tighter restrictions on advertising for alcohol and nicotine products, arguing that such steps would provide stronger financial incentives for healthier choices.
These six proposals reflect the reforms that the public considers most urgent for promoting health and, in the long term, reducing health-care costs, the assembly concluded. Four proposals failed to gain majority support, including one that called for an end to subsidies for alcohol and tobacco production.
The final report will be handed over on May 20th to Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider. Political representatives will then discuss the proposals in the context of existing policy frameworks.
The Citizens’ Assembly project is led by the universities of Geneva and Zurich and coordinated by the Centre for Democracy Studies in Aarau. It seeks to examine how citizens’ assemblies can enrich democratic debate on controversial or politically entrenched issues.
Daniel Kübler, a co-initiator from the University of Zurich, said the exercise showed that people from diverse backgrounds are capable of grappling with complex issues and reaching consensus through dialogue and mutual respect.
More on this:
Citizens’ Assembly press release (in English)
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