Smoking in Uruguay in enclosed public spaces became illegal on 1 March 2006. On that date,
bars,
restaurants or
office
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...
s where people are caught smoking began facing
fines Fines may refer to:
* Fines, Andalusia, Spanish municipality
* Fine (penalty)
* Fine, a dated term for a premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term
*Fines, ore or other products with a s ...
of more than
$1,100 or a three-day closure. Uruguay was the first country in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
to
ban smoking in enclosed public spaces.
Anti-smoking groups estimate that as many as a third of Uruguay's 3.4 million people smoke.
Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas (; ''Vázquez Rosas'' locally ; 17 January 19406 December 2020) was a Uruguayan politician who served as the 41st president of Uruguay from 2015 to 2020. He previously served from 2005 to 2010 as the 39th presiden ...
, an
oncologist
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
, has cited reports suggesting about seven people die each day in Uruguay from smoking-related causes including
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
,
emphysema and other illnesses.
To help promote the plan, president Vazquez launched a campaign called "A Million Thanks," which is a reference to the number of Uruguayan smokers. So far, the campaign seems to have won these people over, as an opinion poll conducted by the Ministry of Public Health states that close to 70% of the country's smokers support the legislation.
The
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
was the impetus behind the government-decreed measure, which is among the world’s toughest and is similar to bans already in place in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
,
Sweden, and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
.
[Uruguay smoking ban toughest in Latin America]
2 March 2006 hispanictips.com
History
The history of tobacco companies in Uruguay begins with the creation of the
Compañía Industrial de Tabacos Monte Paz S.A., founded in 1880. Represented the brands: Nevada, Coronado and California, among others.
In 1945 the company
Abal Hermanos S.A. appeared as representative of the brands:
Marlboro
Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. The largest Mar ...
,
Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by American conglomerate Altria. Cigarettes under the ''Benson & Hedges'' name are manufactured worldwide by different companies such as Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, Philip Morris USA, British ...
, Silver Mint,
Philip Morris, Casino, Next and
L&M. The
British American Tobacco (BAT) was selling tobacco as well as cigarettes. He retired from Uruguay on 21 April 2010, when he represented brands:
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
,
Kool
Kool may refer to:
People
* Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin
* Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang
* Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew)
* Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaican ...
,
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is an American brand of cigarettes owned by the British American Tobacco group. Individual cigarettes of the brand are often referred to colloquially as "Luckies." Throughout their 150 year history, Lucky Strike has had fluctuating ...
and
Pall Mall.
See also
*
Philip Morris v. Uruguay
References
External links
Public smoking ban takes effect in Uruguay2 March 2006
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
Health in Uruguay
{{Uruguay-stub
hu:Dohányzás Uruguayban
pl:Palenie w Urugwaju
fi:Tupakointi Uruguayssa
sv:Rökning i Uruguay
ja:ウルグアイでの喫煙