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Loading ...More Brazilian States Opt for Smoke-Free Environments
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009The push for smoke-free environments continues to march across Brazilian states — how long before federal legislators decide to extend such protections nationwide? Today the governors of the southern state of Paraná (PR) and the western state of Amazonas (AM) signed new tobacco control laws, joining Ceará (CE), Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and São Paulo […]
Ceará Limits Public Smoking
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009Today Ceará (CE) became the latest Brazilian state (after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) to severely restrict smoking in public areas. The governor signed a law that prohibits smoking any product, whether derived from tobacco or not, in “collective enclosures” except in segregated areas that have a physical barrier separating them from nonsmokers with […]
A Smokeless Rio?
Monday, August 17th, 2009If you’ve ever been to Rio de Janeiro (RJ), you know that it’s not exactly a nonsmoker’s paradise. Despite all the health warnings and studies issued over the years, quite a bit of smoking still occurs in public places within the state. Not for much longer. Or at least that’s the stated legislative intent of […]
Trinidad and Tobago Takes the Caribbean Lead in Tobacco Control
Friday, July 31st, 2009Trinidad and Tobago’s Health Minister presented a pretty tough tobacco control bill in Parliament the other day, and seems confident it will emerge as a law in just a few months with little watering down. It appears that Trinidad and Tobago will take the lead in CARICOM’s recent pledge to ban smoking in public places […]
Colombia’s Surprising New Tobacco Control Law
Friday, July 24th, 2009Colombia has just passed a law on tobacco that is, well, surprising, given the language of the original bill and how strongly the industry lobby fought against against any amendments to toughen it. Among other things, the new law: bans sales to minors of any tobacco product, and requires vendors to check for proof of […]
Brazil Proposes Energy Labels for Buildings
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009Yesterday Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) published for public comment in the official gazette (the Official Daily of the Union – Diário Oficial da União) a draft administrative rule (portaria) on the award of certification labels for energy efficiency in public, commercial and service buildings. It is supplemented by an […]
30% of Cancers in Brazil Preventable
Thursday, February 26th, 2009From World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF): Landmark report: many cancers could be prevented across the globe Over 40 per cent of bowel and breast cancer cases in the UK are preventable through healthy patterns of diet, physical activity and weight maintenance, according to estimates in a landmark report that has set out recommendations for policies […]
São Paulo Study Shows Passive Smokers with Elevated CO Levels
Friday, February 20th, 2009A recent study conducted by São Paulo State (SP) Secretary of Health (SES) found that 35.9% of non-smokers regularly exposed to tobacco smoke have carbon monoxide levels in them comparable to those found in smokers. The study looked at 1,310 persons during smoking prevention actions promoted by SES during 2008 in open-air environments, such as […]
“Cereal Offenses” in LAC
Sunday, December 28th, 2008If you have kids and read the labels of foods you shop for or buy, you probably know well the struggle to avoid buying breakfast cereals that are not loaded with sugar and/or sodium (salt). Sometimes even when you avoid the obvious culprits (after all, if the name is “frosted,” most of us can guess!), […]
SP Governor Proposes Very Tough Smoking Ban
Thursday, September 4th, 2008On August 28 — Brazil’s National Day to Combat Tobacco — José Serra, the Governor of the state with the biggest market in the nation, São Paulo, sent to the state legislature a bill would ban smoking in areas of collective use, whether public or private. The bill looks to be one of the toughest […]