It's no coincidence that the small South American country of Uruguay had a physician as president when it began implementing some of the strongest tobacco-control policies in the world five years ago. Dr Tabaré Vásquez, an oncologist, became president there in 2005 and proceeded to turn the nation of just 3.5 million people into a leading example of how to try to curtail cigarette consumption.
He achieved this through methods that are widely acknowledged to work by those advocating for global tobacco control: banning smoking in public places; increasing taxation on and subsequently the price of cigarettes; banning advertising, sponsorship, and promotion by tobacco companies; restricting the use of misleading words on cigarette packs; and making smoking-cessation programs and products widely available.
But the tobacco industry fought back, with Phillip Morris bringing an international lawsuit against the government there, "not because Uruguay is an important market but because its policies could spread over the world," explained Dr Walter Reyes Caorsi (Casa de Galicia Hospital, Montevideo, Uruguay) during a session on global perspectives on tobacco control at the recent American Heart Association (AHA) 2011 Scientific Sessions. Although Vásquez is no longer president of Uruguay, his successor, José Mujica, says he plans to continue the strong tobacco-control policies established by his predecessor.
Next in line to face the wrath of this industry—and a widely expected lawsuit—is likely the Australian government, which is hoping to enact, by the end of this month, a law that stipulates that cigarettes can be sold only in plain packaging.
