Tobacco control in Brazil: advances and challenges

Abstract

Though science has unequivocally demonstrated the devastating effects of tobacco consumption, it has been increasing mainly in developing countries. The lack of comprehensive measures for tobacco control in these countries makes them vulnerable to the aggressive marketing strategies of large transnational tobacco companies. Despite being the second greatest producer of tobacco in the world and the leader in exports of raw tobacco leaves, Brazil has escaped from the frightening trend of increasing tobacco consumption seen in developing countries. For the last 15 years, the Ministry of Health - trough its Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA) - has been articulating intersectorial and nationwide actions by joining and mobilizing other governmental sectors, with the partnership of State and Municipalities Health Offices and several sectors of organized civil society. In this report we aimed at describing the program rationale and at analyzing some advances and some of the challenges for tobacco still existing control in Brazil. And mainly, we tried to highlight the importance of different intersetorial measures to control the many social and economic determinants of tobacco consumption - with special attention to the strategies of the large tobacco companies in Brazil, which have become more aggressive and sophisticated in response to the positive effects of National Tobacco Control Program in reducing tobacco consumption in Brazil.