Clipping of news on Brazilian Culture, Law and Citizenship
 


Health

Federal law more radical would further diminish the number of smokers in Brazil, evaluates Inca

08/30/2010

This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.

 

 



In ten years (1999-2009), the number of adult smokers in Brazil fell 17%. For the World Health Organization (WHO), the percentage is significant, but the coordination of the Anti-Smoking Program of the National Cancer Institute (Inca) warns that the numbers could be even better if Brazil had a federal law that prohibits smoking in enclosed environments totally or partially closed, where there is movement of people.

Federal Law 9.294, in force since 1996, prohibits smoking in enclosed places, but allows smoking in appropriate environments, such as smokehouses.
Only seven states (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Rondonia, Amazonas, Roraima,  Paraíba and Paraná) have laws that have created environments 100% tobacco free.

The Anti-Smoking Program Coordinator of the Inca, the pulmonologist Ricardo Meirelles, notes that Brazil is one of the 170 countries that ratified the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, created five years ago by the United Nations (UN), and that the
Brazilian program of prevention and control of smoking is considered by WHO experts as an example to be followed.

"But our goal is that the issue of smoking is embraced by the Brazilian state with a federal law that prohibits smoking in every local semi or fully closed.
We want Brazil to meet the international agreement it signed, "he said.

Among the measures established by the framework convention for tobacco control, Brazil meets the regulation of tobacco advertising, the introduction of strong health messages on cigarette packs, a ban on cigarette sales to minors of 18 years and the adoption of
Public health policy for the care of those who want to stop smoking.

"The strong fiscal measures and price have not yet been adopted, since the price of cigarettes is still low and is open to everyone. Furthermore, support for tobacco farmers in transition to other crops is very discreet, "said Meirelles.
For pulmonologists, smoking should be viewed as a chronic disease that causes addiction and that leads to the development of at least 50 lung diseases, heart and gastrointestinal.

"We're way ahead of the tobacco control and reduction of 35% to 22% in the number of adult smokers in ten years is significant, but there are still many challenges, such as preventing youth, especially teens, start smoking.

[Young people and teenagers] have many attractions, such as feasts, older friends who smoke and recently the use of narghile [object used to smoke collectively], which uses water to filter the smoke.
We are creating a service network in SUS [Unified Health System] for tobacco control, with medication, support materials and trained professionals to assist those who want to quit, but the work has to be uninterrupted, "he said.

Also according to Meirelles, the cigarette-related diseases are the third leading cause of death worldwide.
In Brazil, the Ministry of Health spent nearly R$ 340 million for the treatment of these pathologies.

(Source: Cristiane Ribeiro / Brazil Agency)


Source: Environment Brazil

This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.

Important:
The JurisWay site does not interfere in the work provided by doctrine, why only reflect the opinions, ideas and concepts of their authors.


  Subjects list
 
  Copyright (c) 2006-2009. JurisWay - All rights reserved.