Sebrié Ernesto M, Schoj Verónica, Glantz Stanton A
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, San Francisco.
Prev Control. 2008 Jan 1;3(1):21-35. doi: 10.1016/j.precon.2007.09.001.
Latin American countries are experiencing an increasing burden of tobacco-related diseases. Smoke free policies are cost-effective interventions to control both exposure of nonsmokers to the toxic chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke and to reduce the prevalence of smoking and its consequent morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has created momentum in Latin America to implement meaningful tobacco control policies. As of August 2007, Uruguay, two provinces and three cities in Argentina, and one state in Venezuela, had passed, regulated, and enforced 100% smokefree legislation. The tobacco industry, working through local subsidiaries, has been the strongest obstacle in achieving this goal and has prevented progress elsewhere in the region. During the 1990s, transnational tobacco companies Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco developed voluntary initiatives ("Courtesy of Choice" and "Environmental Tobacco Smoke Consultancy" programs) to prevent effective smokefree policies. Another important barrier in the region has often been a weak and fragmented local civil society. Opportunities in the region that should be taken into account are a high public support for smokefree environments and increasing capacity building available from international collaboration on tobacco control. Policymakers and tobacco control advocates should prioritize the implementation of smokefree policies in Latin America to protect nonsmokers, reduce smoking prevalence with its economic and disease burden in the region.
拉丁美洲国家正面临与烟草相关疾病日益加重的负担。无烟政策是具有成本效益的干预措施,既能控制非吸烟者接触二手烟草烟雾中的有毒化学物质,又能降低吸烟率及其导致的发病率和死亡率。《世界卫生组织烟草控制框架公约》在拉丁美洲推动了实施有意义的烟草控制政策的势头。截至2007年8月,乌拉圭、阿根廷的两个省和三个市以及委内瑞拉的一个州已经通过、规范并执行了100%无烟立法。烟草行业通过当地子公司开展活动,一直是实现这一目标的最大障碍,并阻碍了该地区其他地方取得进展。在20世纪90年代,跨国烟草公司菲利普·莫里斯国际公司和英美烟草公司发起了自愿倡议(“选择的礼貌”和“环境烟草烟雾咨询”项目),以阻止有效的无烟政策。该地区的另一个重要障碍往往是当地民间社会薄弱且分散。该地区应加以考虑的机会包括公众对无烟环境的高度支持以及烟草控制国际合作提供的能力建设不断增强。政策制定者和烟草控制倡导者应优先在拉丁美洲实施无烟政策,以保护非吸烟者,降低吸烟率及其在该地区造成的经济和疾病负担。