Age Verification for Online Purchase of Tobacco Products in Switzerland

Since October 1, 2024, new, stricter regulations regarding youth protection in the sale of tobacco and nicotine products have come into effect in Switzerland. Many consumers are wondering what this means in practice – especially when purchasing products like cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or snus online.

New Tobacco Products Act since October 1, 2024: Uniform Rule "18 and Over"

With the entry into force of the Federal Act on Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes (TabG) on October 1, 2024, youth protection regulations in Switzerland have been standardized and tightened. Article 23 of the TabG stipulates that tobacco and nicotine products may not be sold to persons under 18 years of age. This applies to all sales channels – physical stores, vending machines, and online shops. Providers must take appropriate measures to ensure that minors do not gain access. In physical stores, for example, staff are required to ask for an official photo ID if there are doubts about a customer's age.

No Clearly Defined Technical Requirements for Online Age Verification

What does this mean for online commerce? In principle, the sales ban on minors also applies online. Online providers are required to take effective precautions. However, the law does not currently prescribe any specific technical solution. There is no officially mandated software or specific procedure. The choice of control system is up to the providers – what is important is that it reliably prevents minors from being able to place orders.

This openness leads to different implementations: Some shops use simple methods like clicking a checkbox, while others require the input of the date of birth or an ID upload. Merely symbolic barriers are not sufficient; a click protection alone is not recognized by authorities as adequate control.

Current Practice at snustrend.com

Our shop uses a pop-up when visiting the website: Users must confirm that they are over 18 years old before they can see the offerings. Additionally, the customer's date of birth must be recorded at the time of purchase. For orders that are obviously placed by minors (birth year used in the email or school email), our team is instructed to cancel these immediately. While this is not an absolutely secure way to deter minors from ordering, there are no further clear guidelines.

Upcoming Tightening in 2026: Stricter Age Control

With the next revision of the TabG, which is expected to come into effect in 2026, the requirements for age verification will be tightened. The introduction of a new Article 23a TabG is planned, which will require all providers to implement a reliable system for age control when selling or advertising tobacco products online. The Federal Council will specify the exact requirements. It is clear that the currently common checkbox will no longer suffice.

Position of snustrend.com

Snustrend.com takes youth protection seriously and follows a pragmatic approach:

• No Legal Requirement – No Obligation to a Specific Solution: As long as no concrete method is legally prescribed, we rely on proportionate age verification without unnecessary barriers for adult users.
• Responsibility with Common Sense: Through clear indications and a preceding checkbox, we ensure that minors are deterred from purchasing without unnecessarily complicating the shopping experience for adults.
• Implementation of a Technical Alternative: We are already working on our own solution for age verification using ID checks. The implementation is technically challenging and poses challenges for us – especially regarding current data protection regulations.

We continue to monitor the market closely and will introduce a more secure system as soon as it is reliable, data protection compliant, and user-friendly.

Conclusion

Youth protection concerns us all. As a consumer, you should understand that age verification is part of a comprehensive health and youth protection strategy. Support age controls by truthfully stating your age and not promoting loopholes.

At the same time, it is worthwhile to keep an eye on legal developments (especially the planned changes from 2026). An informed consumer can make conscious decisions and helps ensure that tobacco and nicotine products remain enjoyable for adults but taboo for minors.

Snustrend.com will continue to inform you transparently about changes. Thank you for reading and for supporting the important goal of protecting young people from the risks of nicotine consumption.