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Smoking Kills 9 Ticos Daily
Tuesday May 31 is "el Día
Mundial del No Fumado" (no
smoking day) and the Instituto
sobre Alcoholismo y
Farmacodependencia (Alcohol and
Drug Dependency Institute) has
launched a campaign to make
Ticos aware of the negative
effects of smoking.
According to the Institute's
statistics, it is estimated that
750.000 Ticos smoke and another
3 million inhale second hand
smoke. The Institute also has
determined that smoking in Costa
Rica begins at the early age of
nine.
In 2001, 2.649 deaths are
directly attributed to smoking
or seven people died each day
from diseases associated with
smoking and tobacco products.
Chilling is the fact that 7% of
women smoke during pregnancy,
promoting high health risks to
the unborn child, producing
miscarriages and deformities.
Martha Escalante, director of
the Institute says that some 9
million cigarettes are consumed
annual in the country and that
the Caja Costarricense de Seguro
Social (CCSS) spends about ¢25
million colones (us$530.000)
each year on paitents who suffer
from various health problems
caused by smoking.
Delia Villalobos, Vice-Minister
of Health, says that they are
working with changing the Ley
7501 that would increase to 100%
non-smoking areas in
restaurants, public buildings
and such.
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