Uruguay smoking ban toughest in Latin America

By Conrado Hornos

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Reuters) – Uruguay imposed a ban on
smoking in public spaces on Wednesday, the stiffest
restrictions on smoking in Latin America.

President Tabare Vazquez, a practicing oncologist, was the
impetus behind the government-decreed measure, which is among
the world’s toughest and is similar to bans already in place in
Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

The ban prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places,
from bars and restaurants to office buildings and shopping
malls. The government says smoking causes 5,500 tobacco-related
deaths a year. About 1 million of Uruguay’s 3.2 million people
smokes.

Workers spilled out on the streets during their lunch hour
on Wednesday, many puffing away on local Nevada brand
cigarettes and lamenting the new regulations in this tiny South
American nation.

“I have to order someone to do something he doesn’t want to
do (put out his cigarette) and then convince him to stay in my
bar. This gives us a role we never sought to have,” said
Roberto Requejo, manager of the Pony Pisador bar.

But if Requejo doesn’t enforce the law, his establishment
faces a fine of about $1,000. And if inspectors catch people
smoking in the bar again, the penalty doubles.

That leaves smoking Uruguayans safe to light up only at
home or on the streets. Many people used to smoking at their
desks will now have to ask for the boss’s permission to slip
outside.

“At my job, they will let us go out for 10 minutes a day to
smoke. I’ll see if I can bear this or if I need more time,”
said Pablo Urruty, a 32-year-old systems engineer who has
smoked for 15 years. “Maybe this is a good time to quit.”

Some companies have even offered to pay for courses so
their employees kick the habit.

Cuba imposed a smoking ban in most public places last year,
but the measure has not been seriously enforced on the island
famed for its fine cigars.

In Buenos Aires, across the River Plate from Uruguay, the
first phase of an anti-smoking law also took effect on
Wednesday, barring people from smoking in municipal government
buildings.

The measure will expand later to the city’s restaurants,
bars and shopping centers and will include bans on cigarette
advertising in public spaces.