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Loading ...Brazil Bans Electronic Cigarettes
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009It looks like Brazilian authorities have concluded that the World Health Organization (WHO) is right about this product and its promotion. The National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) just announced a ban on the trade within, and import into, Brazil of electronic smoking devices, sometimes called e-cigarettes, e-ciggy and e-cigar, among other monikers. The ban particularly […]
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 […]
IMSP Finds Health Benefits of Mexico City’s Anti-Smoking Law
Thursday, June 11th, 2009Mexico’s National Public Health Institute (INSP) has released a study of health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS, sometimes also referred to as “passive smoking” or secondhand smoke”) in bars and restaurants. The study checked 633 workers at 219 establishments in the the Federal District (DF, which comprises Mexico City and its environs) […]
World No Tobacco Day 09: PAHO Calls for All LAC Nations to Adopt Pictorial Warnings
Friday, May 29th, 2009From the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): PAHO Calls for Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Packaging Countries urged to follow the lead of Brazil, Canada, Chile, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela Graphic images depicting the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use should be mandatory on packaging for all tobacco products, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) […]
Why Argentina Has Not Yet Ratified the Tobacco Treaty
Monday, May 11th, 2009There’s an interesting article today in IPS exploring why Argentina has yet to ratify the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) even though it signed the agreement and the federal executive has repeatedly asked the Senate for the ratification. In a nutshell, Senators from seven tobacco-growing provinces (Catamarca, Chaco, Corrientes, Jujuy, Misiones, Salta, […]
Smoking Falling Among Brazilian Youth
Thursday, April 9th, 2009The consumption of cigarettes among Brazilian youth has fallen more than half in the last 20 years. In 2008, according to the Health Ministry’s (MS) Surveillance of Risk Factors and Protection from Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigilãncia do Fatores de Risco e Proteção Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico – VIGITEL), 14.8% of youths between […]
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 […]
Plan for Establishing Caribbean Public Health Agency Agreed
Monday, October 13th, 2008From the Caribbean Community (CARICOM): CARICOM MINISTERS OF HEALTH AGREE ON A PLAN TO ESTABLISH CARPHA Ministers of Health of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have endorsed a plan of action for the transition of the Regional Health Institutions into the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) by 2010. The endorsement was made at the annual Caucus […]
Cigarette Pack Images in Venezuela
Friday, October 3rd, 2008I have been pleasantly surprised by how much interest readers have shown in the posts about the new cigarette pack images adopted by Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. So I thought I would add another post showing the images currently used in Venezuela, some of which I find reminiscent of those in Brazil or Uruguay. (Wonder […]
Passive Smoking Evidence from Entre Rios, Argentina
Monday, June 23rd, 2008Synopsis in English: You can still find people disputing the health impacts on non-smokers of those smoking around them, but they are a dwindling group. Here is another small study that may give them pause. The Applied Toxicology department of the Bromatology Faculty of the National University of Entre Rios (UNER), tested the urine of […]