Anti-tobacco organizations are outraged by the outcome of the proposed law

This Wednesday, the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology (SPP) expressed “strong outrage” at the results of the political negotiations on the proposed tobacco law, saying that its “destruction” is another victory for the tobacco industry.

The Tobacco Working Group set up in Parliament on Tuesday approved the introduction into Portuguese law of a European directive that makes e-cigarettes equal to traditional tobacco, under penalty of penalties for Portugal’s failure to comply with issues related to health promotion and the sale of tobacco. .

The “tobacco control legislative package” proposed by Health Minister Margarida Tavares “followed the public health policy guidelines of the World Health Organization and the European Union and was the lever Portugal needed to stop tobacco consumption.” has recently increased,” SPP President António Morais and pulmonologist Sofia Ravara, coordinator of the SPP committee on smoking, said in a statement.

According to experts, “the repeal of the proposed law is another victory for the tobacco industry, which forces children and adolescents to become consumers for decades, resulting in serious health, social and economic costs.”

“The inertia and resistance of Portuguese governments and political decision-makers to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control measures is unacceptable and shocking, allowing the tobacco industry and commercial interests to intervene freely, promoting public policy only if they are obliged to do so by European Directives “, the message says.

The SPP regrets that the proposed law has only encountered “barriers and opposition in the government and the Assembly of the Republic” since its announcement, and promises that it will continue to fight for this goal, hoping that “the new political cycle will be an opportunity to strengthen the fight against tobacco in Portugal “

Also, Hilson Cunha Filho, leader of the Portuguese Confederation for Smoking Prevention and the Center for Support, Treatment and Recovery, regrets the results of the proposed law “after many months of waiting and anxious and sometimes unfounded discussions in society and in the average.”

“The Ministry of Health and the government have failed to deliver on the promise and proposal presented to the country to provide a healthier, smoke-free environment and free the Portuguese people from the pressure of intensive and aggressive commercialization of a product that is killing its consumers,” it said. Hilson Cunha Filho statement.

According to the official, this is the “legacy” of the health minister, who failed to prepare a proposal to change the tobacco law without the cooperation of non-governmental organizations, as well as “the government of António Costa, which devoted little or no effort to the cause”, leaving responsibility for moving the directive to parliament .

“The Assembly of the Republic is also not exempt from responsibility,” he believes, concluding that “all the political decision-makers involved have demonstrated incompetence and simply transferred the legislative obligation emanating from the EU.”

For the organizations, civil society plays a “crucial role” in implementing government policies and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

“To achieve this, we need to build collaborative, consistent and sustainable relationships with governments and policymakers, journalists and media professionals,” they argue.