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Candies that teach kids to smoke
Have you heard of cigarette-chewing-gums? You may have heard of it, or even chewed it when you were a child. But did you know that you can still buy it today in Switzerland, at many newsstands and stores?
These products, which explicitly mimic cigarettes, raise important questions. Because behind their apparent innocence lies a normalization of smoking among children.
What exactly are we talking about?
The concept is very simple: it involves chewing gum or chocolates packaged like cigarettes. They are sold in cardboard boxes that deliberately mimic traditional cigarette packs.
In some cases, the “cigarettes” are even dusted with powdered sugar. When you blow into them, a white powder escapes, mimicking smoke.
They’re easy to find in Switzerland:
- at certain newsstands,
- online,
- at stores like Gifi or Denner.
A pack of “chewing gum cigarettes” that we bought at a newsstand in the canton of Vaud
Is this legal in Switzerland?
Yes, these products are currently legal in Switzerland. And that is precisely what concerns us.
In several countries, these candies are explicitly banned, notably:
- in France,
- the United Kingdom,
- in Canada.
These countries consider that these items indirectly encourage smoking among children. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (which Switzerland has still not ratified) takes the same stance. In Article 13, it recommends banning not only direct tobacco advertising but also any product that contributes to normalizing tobacco use, including candies or toys that mimic cigarettes (1).
Why is this problematic?
These products are of particular concern to us for two main reasons:
- their appearance: they deliberately mimic cigarettes,
- their target audience: they are primarily aimed at children.
The problem is that these items are not simply candy: they encourage certain behaviors by prompting children to mimic the gestures associated with smoking and to view cigarettes in their imagination as something normal, even fun. However, several scientific studies show that these products contribute to the normalization of smoking and can increase the likelihood that a young person will actually start smoking later on.
Furthermore, these products are generally inexpensive (between 1 and 2 CHF per pack) and placed at the bottom of shelves, at children’s eye level, making them particularly appealing to the youngest children (ages 2–4).
What is the connection between these candies and the tobacco industry?
Today, there is no proven or official link between the tobacco industry and these products. But these candies serve as an extremely effective form of advertising for tobacco giants: they introduce the idea of cigarettes into children’s lives at a very early age. They replicate the gesture, the aesthetics, and the social image, and help normalize a behavior that remains one of the leading causes of preventable diseases.
And this directly targets the tobacco industry’s traditional audience. Indeed, the tobacco industry needs young people, because without them, it is nothing.
This cynical logic is easy to explain: young people represent “the only source of new smokers” (5), since the vast majority of smokers start before the age of 18 (6-7).
What about the new Swiss tobacco legislation?
With the new Swiss legislation on tobacco products and e-cigarettes, one might expect this type of product to be covered. But that is not the case, and these candies remain legal.
The Federal Office of Public Health states that: “Candy shaped like cigarettes or cigars trivialize the problem of smoking and therefore pose a problem from the perspective of smoking prevention. At present, policymakers have not taken a position on this issue, and no mandate has been issued to amend the legal framework.” (8)
Conclusion
Cigarette-shaped chewing gum and other candies that mimic tobacco products cannot be considered ordinary items.
They constitute:
- indirect tobacco advertising,
- a trivialization of the act of smoking,
- a product clearly targeted at minors,
- a tool for normalization that may increase the likelihood of smoking later in life.
What are we waiting for to ban these products in Switzerland?
References
(2) Klein J, Clair S. Do candy cigarettes encourage young people to smoke? BMJ. 2000 Aug 5;321(7257):362–365. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7257.362
(3) Klein J et al. Candy Cigarettes: Do They Encourage Children’s Smoking? Pediatrics (1992) 89 (1): 27–31. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.89.1.27
(4) Klein J, Thomas R, Sutter E. History of childhood candy cigarette use is associated with tobacco smoking by adults. Preventive Medicine, Volume 45, Issue 1, 2007, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.04.006
(5) Burrows D. Younger Adult Smokers: Strategies and Opportunities. 1984. https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/docs/hjhj0045/
(6) Unisanté. Consommation, prévention et industrie. Accessed on: August 20, 2025. Available from:https://www.unisante.ch/fr/promotion-prevention/tabagisme/consommation-prevention-industrie
(7) “For adults only”: Young people targeted by the tobacco industrys. Episode 1 – Teens, the tobacco industry loves you! OxySuisse, 2025. https://transparencyandtruth.ch/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/251002-TNT-EPISODE1-EN.pdf
(8) Hauri, R. Meine Kinder wollen am Kiosk Kaugummi kaufen – und kehren mit Zigaretten zurück. March 17, 2026. Tages Anzeiger. Available from: https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/kaugummi-zigaretten-fuer-schweizer-kinder-immer-noch-legal-768347126713
