The threat of cigarette grows in Ecuador and the world

25% of young women in Ecuador smoke

Today, May 31, is World No Snuff Day and the country of Ecuador will intensify its fight to avoid its consumption. The Latin American country is preparing a campaign to put new warnings on cigarette packs about the dangers of smoking.

In Ecuador there are 2 ½ million smokers and six million people worldwide die each year from smoking, of which more than 600 000 are nonsmokers who die from breathing second-hand smoke. So reported the World Health Organization (WHO).

Of the two and a half million smokers in the country, 25% are women, mostly young. This figure was presented by Francisco Plaza, president of the Medical Foundation Against Noise, Environmental Contaminant and Tobacco.

According to the Ministry of Public Health (MPH), cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxic, including arsenic, carbon monoxide, cyanide, ammonia and more than 50 carcinogens.

As of June 15 six new warnings on cigarette packs advertising will take effect, using the following messages: “Smoking causes you gangrene,” “Smoking affects your economy,” “Smoking causes impotence.”

“With this type of campaign is expected to lower incidence, but not enough, you have to be aggressive in campaigns with schools, colleges and homes,” said Plaza.