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Parliament wants the Federal Council to hold off on issuing new recommendations until the results of an ongoing study from Spain are available. (Featured image)
Keystone
Parliament is calling on the Federal Council to put new recommendations on moderate alcohol consumption on hold. The federal government should await further scientific findings, including those from an ongoing study in Spain.
On Wednesday, the National Council passed a motion by Benedikt Würth (Center/SG) by a vote of 106 to 75, with 11 abstentions, following a discussion that was unusually detailed for the consideration of a motion.
According to motion sponsor Würth, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) zero-tolerance strategy on alcohol is not being critically scrutinized by federal authorities, even though it is scientifically untenable. There is no scientific consensus on the claim that every drop of alcohol is harmful, Würth said.
The Federal Council should wait to issue further recommendations on alcohol consumption until a study on the topic by the University of Navarra in Spain (Unati) is published. This study is expected to be available in 2028.
Würth is president of the Swiss Association AOP-IGP, which also includes Swiss fine spirits. He added in the Council of States that the WHO’s guidelines were not well received by the business community. The industry is struggling with declining trends.
Occasional and moderate alcohol consumption is not always bad, said majority spokesperson Benjamin Roduit (Center/VS) in the National Council. Government recommendations unduly interfere with individual and self-determined behavior, added Michael Graber (SVP/VS).
Patrick Hässig (GLP/ZH), on the other hand, referred to it as a “lobbying push.” Independent experts have confirmed that there is no threshold below which alcohol consumption is not harmful, added Valérie Piller Carrard (SP/FR). The Unati study was conducted with people aged 50 to 75.
The Federal Council also rejected the motion. The federal government does not issue guidelines on alcohol consumption but provides information on the risks associated with it so that people can make informed decisions, said Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
Alcohol consumption can not only increase the risk of cancer but also of other diseases. Many of these risks are underestimated by the general public. Baume-Schneider pointed out that the Unati study cannot be generalized to the entire population due to the age range examined and the study design.
17.06.2026, 13:11
