A group of Swiss politicians and hospitality industry representatives is pushing back against the World Health Organization, which in 2023 argued that no level of alcohol consumption can be considered risk-free, reported SRF. The agency maintains that even small amounts of wine, beer or spirits increase health risks. Critics in Switzerland say that position overstates the scientific case.
At the centre of the dispute is Benedikt Würth, a centrist member of the Council of States from St Gallen. He argues that the WHO’s zero-risk-free framing lacks nuance. Studies show correlations between alcohol and disease, he says, but do not always establish clear causation or quantify risk in a way that justifies blanket messaging.
Mr Würth has joined politicians, restaurateurs and representatives of the drinks industry to found an alliance called Gaudium Suisse. It presents itself as a platform for responsible enjoyment of alcohol and aims to represent sectors tied to beer, wine and spirits. Its founders reject what they call the demonisation of moderate drinking.
Critics see something more familiar: the emergence of a new alcohol lobby. Mr Würth shrugs off the label. He says he is not acting on behalf of any organised interest, but defending what he views as a proportionate approach in a liberal society.
Not everyone agrees. Flavia Wasserfallen of the Socialist Party of Switzerland argues that the scientific consensus is clear: even low levels of alcohol consumption raise the risk of cancer, heart arrhythmia and liver disease. In her view, the evidence leaves little room for reinterpretation.
Ms Wasserfallen also draws parallels with past resistance by the tobacco industry to tighter regulation. Economic interests, she argues, help explain opposition to stricter advertising rules, higher taxes and clearer public-health guidance. The debate comes as alcohol consumption in Switzerland declines; wine sales in particular have fallen in recent years. Whether Gaudium Suisse can shift the conversation remains to be seen.
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SRF article (in German)
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