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Loading ...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 […]
New Brazilian Rules on Pharmaceutical Marketing
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Brazil’s Health Minister, José Gomes Temporão, and the head of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), Dirceu Raposo, recently announced new rules on pharmaceutical marketing in that country to replace less ambitious ones adopted in 2000. The new rules aim at substantially changing how medicines are promoted in Latin America’s largest pharma market, and may […]
An Alcohol Control Bill for Uruguay
Friday, September 12th, 2008Uruguay’s National Drug Board (Junta Nacional de Drogas – JND), Inter-sectoral Coordinator on Alcohol Policies (CIPA) and Ministry of Public Health (MSP) recently presented to the press and public an unusually tough (for a Latin American nation, at least) alcohol control bill that they are sending to the national legislature. A Law, Not a Decree […]
World No-Tobacco Day 2008 in LAC: PAHO Honors Those Making a Difference
Saturday, June 7th, 2008From the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): World No Tobacco Day 2008 Observed with Awards in the Americas World No Tobacco Day is being observed May 31 with a focus on tobacco marketing, and awards in recognition of outstanding contributions to tobacco control. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging governments to protect the world’s […]
WHO Calls for Complete Tobacco Ad Ban
Friday, June 6th, 2008It was only a matter of time. World Health Organization (WHO) officials have long expressed the belief that one of the most effective tools in decreasing tobacco consumption is a a complete ban on all forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products and bands. They wanted it in the Framework Convention on Tobacco […]
Alcohol Consumption in Brazil IV: Drinking-Related Problems; Policy Responses
Sunday, October 14th, 2007At end-2005, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) resolved to undertake a regional effort to combat alcohol consumption under the guidance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). As they do, they’ll likely study the efforts of Brazil to take the lead on the issue. This past spring Brazil adopted a national policy and not […]
World No-Tobacco Day in LAC: Bolivia to Introduce Control Bill
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007On World No-Tobacco Day (31 May) Bolivia’s Health Minister announced that the government is sending a tobacco control framework bill to Congress. Among other things, the bill will ban smoking in enclosed public places, prohibit most advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, and toughen labels and health warnings. The only details yet to be […]
Do Tobacco Ad Bans Reduce Smoking Among Youth? Results of a Brazilian Study
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007In the most recent print edition of the international scientific journal Addictive Behaviors is an article* by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) about the impact of advertising on the smoking behavior of Brazilian youth aged 11-18. [An electronic version of the article was posted in November.] Although the researchers caution that […]
Clean Shores I: International Coastal Clean-Up Day in LAC
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006ICC in St. Maarten / Photo: Rajesh Chintaman In my prior series on protecting coral reefs, I underlined the importance of keeping coastlines and coastal waters clear of trash/debris. In this first segment of a two parter on “clean shores,” I will examine the efforts of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to sensitize the public around the […]