Smoking in Uruguay in enclosed public spaces became illegal on 1 March 2006. On that date,
bars,
restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...
s or
office
An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a po ...
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 Lease#Leases_of_land, premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term
* Fines, ore or oth ...
of more than
$1,100 or a three-day closure. Uruguay was the first country in
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
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 (; 17 January 19406 December 2020) was a Uruguayan politician and oncologist who served as the 39th and 41st President of Uruguay from 2005 to 2010 and from 2015 to 2020. During his political career, Vázquez was a ...
, 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 ('' ...
, 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, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
,
emphysema
Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema.
Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...
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:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
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 (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.
[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 owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (PMI, now separate from Altria) in most global territories outside the ...
,
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
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products including electronic cigarettes. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, E ...
(BAT) was selling tobacco as well as cigarettes. He retired from Uruguay on 21 April 2010, when he represented brands:
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
,
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), Jamaica ...
,
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."
Name
Lucky Strike was introduced as a brand of plug tobacco (chew ...
and
Pall Mall.
See also
*
Philip Morris v. Uruguay
References
External links
Public smoking ban takes effect in Uruguay 2 March, 2006.
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
.
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