Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
New rules for blood donations for gay men; chocolate manufacturer abstains from advertising to children; and other Swiss news in our Wednesday roundup.
Gay and bisexual men now permitted to donate blood under laxer conditions
At the request of the transfusion service of the Swiss Red Cross, Switzerland approved on Tuesday the amendment to the blood donation criteria for homosexual and bisexual men.
Under the Swiss law introduced in 2017, any man who has had sex with another man is prevented from donating blood for 12 months.
But as blood is in short supply in Switzerland, and more donations are needed, a four-month deferral period will now be in effect for all donors.
"The same exclusion criteria apply for all persons after new sexual contacts – regardless of whether they are heterosexual or homosexual,” the Federal Council said in a press release.
The rule restricting gay men from donating blood first went into effect in the midst of the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s.
The new amendment is based "on an updated risk assessment of various sexual behaviours and takes due account of the epidemiological situation in Switzerland, as well as data from other countries that have already adapted their donation criteria accordingly,” the government pointed out.
Swiss chocolate maker will not tempt children to eat its products
Lindt & Sprüngli, one of Switzerland’s leading chocolate manufacturers, announced it will no longer advertise its products on TV programmes or in publications aimed at children under the age of 16.
"We pride ourselves on producing high-quality chocolate, but our vision is not only to produce the finest items, but also to match our high quality standards with equally high ethical standards in every aspect of our business," the Zurich-based company said on Tuesday.
Therefore, Lindt & Sprüngli "will not advertise its products in media in which at least 35 percent of the audience is made up of children under the age of 16 and will not carry out any chocolate-related communication in primary and secondary schools,” the company added.
Zurich driver fined 1,100 francs for motorway sticker trick
The law is clear: each vehicle driving on a Swiss highway must have the current year’s vignette' affixed to its windshield. If a person or family owns more than one car, each should have its own sticker; transferring them from one vehicle to another is not allowed.
However, a Zurich resident probably thought nobody would notice that his sticker was affixed to the windshield with a tape because he was transferring it from one car to another.
But as Blick newspaper reported on Tuesday, he did get caught.
His attempt to save 40 francs on a second sticker cost him (aside from a two-year probation), a total of 1,100 francs.
The paradox here is that for this amount of money he could have purchased 27 vignettes. And had he driven without one, his fine would be only 200 francs — the usual penalty for driving sticker-less.
READ ALSO : What you need to know about Switzerland’s motorway charge sticker
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Gay and bisexual men now permitted to donate blood under laxer conditions
At the request of the transfusion service of the Swiss Red Cross, Switzerland approved on Tuesday the amendment to the blood donation criteria for homosexual and bisexual men.
Under the Swiss law introduced in 2017, any man who has had sex with another man is prevented from donating blood for 12 months.
But as blood is in short supply in Switzerland, and more donations are needed, a four-month deferral period will now be in effect for all donors.
"The same exclusion criteria apply for all persons after new sexual contacts – regardless of whether they are heterosexual or homosexual,” the Federal Council said in a press release.
The rule restricting gay men from donating blood first went into effect in the midst of the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s.
The new amendment is based "on an updated risk assessment of various sexual behaviours and takes due account of the epidemiological situation in Switzerland, as well as data from other countries that have already adapted their donation criteria accordingly,” the government pointed out.
Swiss chocolate maker will not tempt children to eat its products
Lindt & Sprüngli, one of Switzerland’s leading chocolate manufacturers, announced it will no longer advertise its products on TV programmes or in publications aimed at children under the age of 16.
"We pride ourselves on producing high-quality chocolate, but our vision is not only to produce the finest items, but also to match our high quality standards with equally high ethical standards in every aspect of our business," the Zurich-based company said on Tuesday.
Therefore, Lindt & Sprüngli "will not advertise its products in media in which at least 35 percent of the audience is made up of children under the age of 16 and will not carry out any chocolate-related communication in primary and secondary schools,” the company added.
Zurich driver fined 1,100 francs for motorway sticker trick
The law is clear: each vehicle driving on a Swiss highway must have the current year’s vignette' affixed to its windshield. If a person or family owns more than one car, each should have its own sticker; transferring them from one vehicle to another is not allowed.
However, a Zurich resident probably thought nobody would notice that his sticker was affixed to the windshield with a tape because he was transferring it from one car to another.
But as Blick newspaper reported on Tuesday, he did get caught.
His attempt to save 40 francs on a second sticker cost him (aside from a two-year probation), a total of 1,100 francs.
The paradox here is that for this amount of money he could have purchased 27 vignettes. And had he driven without one, his fine would be only 200 francs — the usual penalty for driving sticker-less.
READ ALSO : What you need to know about Switzerland’s motorway charge sticker
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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