SBB tightens the screws on recalcitrant smokers

To more firmly remind smokers of the no-smoking rules in force, SBB has been testing a pilot project since this summer in five stations – Solothurn, Biel, Burgdorf, La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Zurich Hardbrücke. More prominent signage, ashtrays removed or sealed – the objective is clear: to make the ban on smoking or vaping on platforms more visible and better respected.

Smoking on train platforms, despite bans, remains a persistent problem. Since 2019, Swiss train stations have been officially smoke-free, according to regulations established by the Public Transport Association. With the exception of two smoking areas per platform, which are clearly marked and equipped with ashtrays, lighting up a cigarette while waiting for a train is forbidden. This decision was welcomed by the majority of passengers, keen to travel in a cleaner, more breathable environment. Yet, six years after it came into force, the ban is still struggling to gain traction.

The most problematic stations in focus

Faced with increasing passenger complaints, the SBB has decided to raise the pressure on smokers. The choice of stations was not random: these are the locations that receive the most complaints for non-compliance with the smoking and vaping ban.

The SBB put in place measures to firmly emphasise the existing rules. In Biel, for example, imposing signs surround the station and are omnipresent inside, reminding passengers to smoke only in designated areas. The trial will continue for six months before an initial assessment is made.

A health problem before being an odor problem

The issue goes beyond smoke being simply an offensive odor. Second-hand smoke is a very real health threat. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, approximately 70 of which are carcinogenic. Even outdoors, in a partially covered space or in crowded conditions, exposure can be significant. Breathing even the smallest amount of smoke is harmful. Vulnerable travelers — children, pregnant women, the elderly, or those with chronic illnesses — are particularly at risk.

In Geneva, the debate has already gone further: since spring, smoking has been banned in certain outdoor public areas such as bus stops and playgrounds. Fines of up to CHF 1,000 are planned for offenders. This is a strong signal that could inspire other cantons.

For prevention associations, the issue is twofold: not only protecting the population from second-hand smoke, but also reducing the normalisation of smoking. Seeing a lit cigarette on a platform or in front of a bus stop also sends an implicit message to young people — "smoking is commonplace" — while we must denormalise at all costs a product that causes approximately 9,500 deaths per year in Switzerland.

Three out of four people in Switzerland have the right to cleaner air

By making cigarettes less visible and facilitating a healthier coexistence between smokers and non-smokers, SBB is participating in a groundswell of support for healthier public spaces. The outcome of the pilot project will be closely scrutinised: if it proves conclusive, other stations across the country could soon expand their own measures.

The issue of smoking in public spaces remains a sensitive one in Switzerland. But the reality is clear: in a country where the majority of the population, around 75%, does not smoke, the demand for smoke-free spaces is growing, and institutions must adapt . Train stations, the ultimate transit hubs, are a symbol of this.

The lack of compliance with the smoking ban in train stations demonstrates the need to amend and strengthen the Federal Law on Protection from Second-hand Smoke of 2010, which is currently too weak. Complaints from train station passengers clearly demonstrate how this law fails to effectively protect non-smokers, particularly the youngest and most vulnerable.