Municipality votes on ban Will spitting on the floor in Muttenz BL soon cost 100 francs?

Next Thursday, the citizens of Muttenz BL will decide whether or not people should be allowed to spit on the ground in public spaces in future. Other Swiss municipalities already have a ban.

In Muttenz BL, anyone who spits in the street and is observed by a law enforcement officer could soon face a fine of 100 francs. The residents will decide next Thursday at the municipal assembly whether or not people should continue to be allowed to spit on the ground in public spaces.

The ban on spitting is an addition to the partially revised police regulations in the spirit of the Notdurft, which seeks to prevent indecent behavior in public, says the responsible municipal councillor Salome Lüdi to "20 Minuten".

According to Lüdi, if the ban is accepted, the police will not devote any additional resources to enforcing it. Instead, the patrols that already take place in the village will be expanded in this regard.

A sense of proportion in enforcement

"The first priority is to fine those who demonstratively spit on the ground," Lüdi is quoted as saying. So anyone who has a valid reason for spitting - for example a swallowed object - will not receive a fine. It is important for officials to act with a sense of proportion.

While a ban on spitting is already established in major cities such as Singapore, Wallisellen ZH was the center of attention in Switzerland in 2006 when it became the first municipality in Switzerland to announce a ban on spitting. Other municipalities followed suit.

In the Basel area, indecent behavior is punished in Liestal. With success: according to René Frei, Head of Security/Social Affairs at the city of Liestal, spitting in public spaces has decreased since the introduction of fines.