And just like that the first month of 2023 is already over. Did you keep to your Veganuary or your Dry January or going to the gym twice a week resolution? If the answer is yes, good for you but if not, don’t despair you are part of the 64% average of people who can’t keep their New Year resolutions. Try setting yourself small steps for a better chance of success!
Proof that buying power is everything, was set by Coop against Coca-Cola. The soft drinks giant has decided to shrinkflate its famous Coca drink by shrinking the 0.5 litre bottle to 0.45 litre but charging the same price as before. Seeing negotiations fail, Coop decided to import its Coca bottles from Poland where the size and price hadn’t changed, snubbing the locally produced smaller bottles. Coca-Cola has now decided to reverse its decision and produce the 0.5 litre bottles in Switzerland again for the local market.
Today is your last day to change your car “vignette”, as of tomorrow not having the 2023 vignette on your windowshield will cost you CHF 200.- , as of next year an e-vignette will also be available.
As of this week, a pilot project entitled “Weed Care” is taking place in Basel, whereby 370 participants are allowed to buy cannabis in chemists and will be followed by doctors and psychiatrists to study the benefits (or not) of the plant on mental health.
Due to the federalistic policies in this country, rules with regards to begging differ from canton to canton; whereas it is forbidden in Basel, in some cantons a permit is required. The canton of Lucerne on the other hand believes that this is asking too much of people who are obviously struggling with either mental health or other social issues, so begging is still allowed here and no permits are required.
A warning was issued by some cantons that gangs from the Balkan region are currently making the rounds begging. The individuals who beg have to hand over their “earnings” to a gangleader, but the cantons faced a backlash for sounding discriminating and racist by issuing this warning.
Tomorrow is the first wednesday of February and, as such, at 1 p.m. all the sirens around the country will go off. This year the government is particularly concerned that the Ukrainian refugees will be triggered by the sound of the alarms and are trying to reach as many of them as possible to let them know that it is just a test and to remain calm.
