Costa Ricans
Urge Ban On
Smoking in
Public Places
Doctors, health
researchers,
former smokers
and many others
are asking for
legislators to
approve a bill
that would ban
smoking in
public places,
for a healthier
environment and
to reduce the
exposure of
those with
respiratory and
cardiac disease
to smoke.
The request was
made during the
Feria Viva sin
Tabaco promoted
b the Red
Nacional
Antitabaco (Renata).
Some 2.500
signatures were
collected during
the event that
will be
presented to the
Asamblea
Legislativa to
approve an
anti-smoking
bill, in
compliance with
the Convenio
Marco del Tabaco
that Costa Rica
signed with the
World Health
Organization in
2007.
The proposal is
to ban smoking
in public areas,
reduce
advertising by
tobacco
companies,
increase the
price of
cigarettes and
warnings of
cigarette
packages of the
dangers of
smoking.
The initiative
is not new. The
Comisión de
Asuntos Sociales
de la Asamblea
Legislativa has
been working on
the bill for the
last three
years, but it
hasn't gone
anywhere.
According to the
Caja
Costarricense de
Seguro Social (CCSS)
37.12% of all
diagnoses cancer
cases and 42.56%
of deaths from
tumors are
related to
cigarette
smoking.
In Costa Rica,
ten people die
daily from
illness related
to tobacco. |
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