Salud
Looking To Ban Smoking
in Public Places
The Ministerio de Salud
(health ministry) is
looking to ban smoking
in all public areas and
is pushing hard to get
laws approved that would
affect restaurants and
malls and restrict
tobacco advertising and
more visible warnings on
the cigarette packages.
The ministra de Salud,
María Luisa Ávila, said
that her ministry is
looking for "zero
tolerance" when it comes
to smoking in public
areas.
"The idea is to
eliminate the 'smoking
areas' of restaurants
and malls", said Avila,
who is adamant to reduce
the secondary effects of
smoke to non-smokers
that are the cause of
hypertension, lung
disease, diabetes,
osteoporosis and
impotence.
Avila added that her
ministry will set the
standards and will close
those businesses who do
not coply.
The executive decrees
wanted by Salud are in
the discussion stage and
could go into effect
within two months.
Some retail centres like
the Multiplaza Escazú
have been proactive and
have already banned
smoking in all public
areas, including the
food court. Grupo Roble,
owners of Multiplaza
made the decision and
put the ban in effect
since the beginning of
this year.
The Salud is alos
looking to force the
tobacco companies to put
visible notices on their
packaging so as to warn
of the health risks of
smoking and looking to
ban the sale of the
"five cigarette" packs
that are purchased
mainly by youths because
of their lower cost.
Tobacco products in
Costa Rica are much
cheaper than in North
America and Europe, for
example, mainly due to
the low taxation on the
product. In the U.S. and
Canada, for example,
high taxes are placed on
tobacco products to
cover the increasing
costs of health
services.
There are some 600.000
smokers in Costa Rica
between the ages of 12
and 70, according to a
year 2000 census on drug
use, men making up 3/4
of the smokers. |
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