Brazil: “The good student” of the fight against tobacco

Ban on smoking in public places, ban on advertising, increase in taxes[1]… Brazil has taken strong legislative measures to protect the health of its citizens. It is an example to be continued for emerging and developing countries.

Brazil has stepped up its fight against tobacco-related diseases by strengthening its tobacco legislation with the enactment of a federal law on December 3, 2014. This new law aims to further reduce smoking prevalence in a country that still has 24 million smokers, 80% of whom started smoking as teenagers. The new federal law supersedes all state-level laws, and its provisions are consistent with the guidelines of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

In Brazil, smoking is prohibited in all indoor public places that welcome the public, such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs or are private, such as residential buildings. Smoking is, however, still allowed in homes, public parks, streets, open areas of football stadiums and in religious buildings.

Establishments that do not comply with the legislation are subject to a fine and possible withdrawal of their operating license. In addition, this law more strictly regulates tobacco advertising. It requires the affixing of graphic health warnings covering the entire back of the packet as well as one of the two edges.

These measures have produced the expected effects: "This policy has prevented 420,000 deaths over these two decades." If the laws in question remain in force, nearly 7 million deaths attributable to smoking could be avoided by 2050.[2].

©Generation Without Tobacco

[1] https://www.who.int/fctc/implementation/news/brazil_news/fr/

[2] https://destinationsante.com/Lutte-anti-tabac-le-Bresil-exemplaire.html

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