Swiss Federal Court upholds cantonal bans on single-use e-cigarettes

In a recent ruling, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court upheld Canton of Valais' ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, legally dismissing legal action by the Swiss Tobacco Trade Association, Philip Morris Switzerland and other stakeholders. The court ruled that the injunction, which was passed by the Valais State Legislature in 2024 and entered into force in May 2025, was in full compliance with federal law and had legitimate public health and environmental protection purposes. The Federal Supreme Court pointed out that although the federal government has the legal authority to ban disposable e-cigarettes nationwide, the federal states still have the right to formulate restrictive administrative measures according to local conditions before the relevant laws are officially introduced at the national level.