Lisiane Wandscheer Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - The percentage of the population of Brazil that smokes fell from 16.2% in 2006 to 15.5% in 2009, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health and the University of São Paulo, called “Vigitel,” which interviewed 54,000 adults. That number is much less than in Argentina (35% of the population) and the United States (40%).
The Ministry of Health says that smokers have been quitting for more than two decades in Brazil (in 1989, 33% of the population smoked). “We are one of the most successful countries in the campaign to reduce smoking. The drop was very expressive in such a short time,” says Deborah Malta, of the ministry (Department of Non-Transmissible Diseases).
Malta explains that anti-tobacco advertising, warnings on the products and sharp increases in the cost [taxes] of cig Allen Bennett 2010-06-24T12:43:48Z Allen Bennett http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/adicionar-noticia 2010-06-24T12:32:49Z