The tobacco industry and Swiss universities: a worrying influence

Our investigation, conducted across all Swiss university institutions, reveals a worrying finding: more than half of the institutions surveyed have cooperated at least once with the tobacco industry since 2019.

The tobacco industry has a long history of interference in scientific research, aimed at defending its commercial interests through manipulation, disinformation, and the discrediting of independent studies. In Switzerland, emblematic cases illustrate these practices, notably the Rylander affair at the University of Geneva, where a professor secretly collaborated with Philip Morris for more than thirty years to downplay the risks of passive smoking, or the controversial study by the University of Zurich on plain packaging, financed by the same company.

Strategic influence on academic research

Collaborations between the tobacco industry and Swiss universities are not neutral. They grant this industry scientific legitimacy, which it can then use to:

• Improve its public image, particularly among political decision-makers and the general public;
• Weaken prevention measures by influencing debates and perceptions of risk;
• Promote its “new products” such as e-cigarettes or heated tobacco devices, presented as supposedly less harmful alternatives.

This strategy follows a well-known logic: using research and academic prestige to steer public discussion, sow doubt, or shift the debate.

A particularly concerning lack of transparency

The lack of transparency highlighted by this investigation is particularly concerning. Several universities refusing to hand over relevant documents, invoking private law. This opacity reflects a troubling commercialization of research institutions financed by public funds and undermines the credibility, independence, and integrity of science.

Ranking: how transparent is your university?

Would you like to know how your university ranks in terms of transparency and ties with the tobacco industry? Consult our ranking of Swiss universities here.

How to take action

If you are a prevention professional:

• Contact the institutions and political authorities in your canton to express your concerns about collaborations with the tobacco industry.
• Demand clear measures: transparency of partnerships, strict rules, and an end to all cooperation with the tobacco industry.
• Rely on documented facts regarding tobacco industry interference and the health impact of smoking to strengthen your arguments and share them within your network.

If you are an employee or student at a university:

• Advocate internally (committees, management, student representatives) for clear rules governing collaborations and conflicts of interest.
• Launch a collective statement or a petition addressed to the university leadership.
• If you are aware of any links between your university and the tobacco industry, we invite you to send us this information securely and confidentially via our contact channels.

If you are a citizen:

• Demand explanations and transparency from the institutions concerned.
• Contact your political representatives and call for stricter rules on collaborations between the tobacco industry and Swiss universities.
• Support civil society organizations and share reliable information about the tobacco industry’s influence strategies.

To the research results : https://transparencyandtruth.ch/en/ressource/the-tobacco-industry-swiss-universities/