A general ban on tobacco advertising called for by Health Minister Alain Berset was rejected in the senate today, international news site of National Broadcasting Corporation, swissinto.ch, reported.

The cabinet argued in Parliament that advertising for tobacco products had a large impact on young people but opponents of the ban argued that no proof was given that a ban on advertising would stop people from smoking, the site reported.
Swissinfo.ch commented that the senate had voted “to protect a free market economy, rather than support health concerns.”