Smoking Ban Proposed for Public Spaces in Costa Rica

Written by JohnK

The Health Ministry Wants to Ban Smoking in Costa Rica.
It may soon be “Butts out” in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica’s Health Ministry is working to push through laws that will ban smoking in restaurants and shopping centers. The set of laws include restrictions on cigarette advertising and the inclusion of more visible health warnings on cigarette packs. Another cigarette related law aims to block the entry of a package containing only 5 cigarettes into the market. These small packs are thought to be a strategy used by tobacco companies to target young people and those with low incomes.

The Ministerio de Salud (MS) plans to pass these laws through executive decrees. The MS has decided it needs to take an alternate route as the traditional path is not working. These laws have been in the hands of the Legislative Branch since early in 2003 and nothing has yet been resolved. The laws are included in the “Convenio Marco para el Control del Tabaco” (Tobacco Control Agreement) which is part of a global campaign supported by the World Health Organization. María Luisa Ávila, head of the MS criticized legislators and commented, “If we can’t go in through the living room, then we’ll go in through the kitchen. It’s shameful that the legislators have not been able to agree on something this important…”.

If these laws are passed through executive decree, as the MS wishes, they could become part of Costa Rican law in the next few months.

Some corporations have been proactive and already taken the lead by implementing their own smoking bans. For example, Grupo Roble, owners of Multiplaza Escazú and Oeste have had a smoking ban on their premises since the start of 2008.

Tobacco Facts in Costa Rica

• Tobacco products in Costa Rica are much cheaper than in the United States and European nations. In developed countries, high taxation has been added to tobacco products to cover the increasing health costs incurred by national health systems. This practice has not yet been implemented in Costa Rica or other developing countries so they become prime markets for tobacco companies.

• According to the year 2000 National Census on Drug Use there are about 600,000 active smokers between the ages of 12 and 70 in Costa Rica.

• The number of women with lung cancer doubled from 1993 to 2003. In a time span of 10 years, the percentage of female lung cancer patients went from 2.76 to 4.4 per 100,000.

• Men make up about 74% of smokers in Costa Rica.

• Although the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has no specific data on the costs of treating lung cancer, in 2006, this organization spent about $61 million (¢30.489 million) to treat people with illnesses related to tobacco use (allergies, asthma, and cancer among others).

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