Brazil declares war on smoking.

"Passed a law that prohibits smoking in enclosed public or private. Furthermore, restricting advertising, plans to raise taxes and set minimum prices."

The law was enacted by President Dilma Rousseff and by reform of 1996 that allowed the use of cigarettes in "smokehouse"(fumódromos in spanish) areas used exclusively for that purpose and should be insulated or ventilated. The law must still be regulated by Congress to fix the values ​​of the fines if disobeyed by local, said the state-run Agencia Brasil.

So far, only some states, like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Parana, had a legislation preventing smoking in enclosed areas.

The text extends the existing restrictions on cigarette advertisements . It states that from January 2016, warning messages about the negative effects of snuff on packages, currently located in the rear, must be recorded in 30% of the front. It also prohibits advertisements in local sales, but not the exposure of the product.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health indicated that the law provides for an increase in taxes on cigarettes and sets the minimum selling price of the product at retail.

The rate of the Tax on Industrialized Products (IPI) for cigarette was set at 300%, depending on the site G1 . The Government anticipates that these measures the package price up 20% in 2012 to reach a 55% increase in 2015.

The NGO Campaign to Snuff Free Kids (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids), based in Washington DC, welcomed the measure and said that this makes Brazil the "greatest country in the world to be completely free of snuff". "We applaud the President Rousseff and the Brazilian Congress to adopt a truly historic action to reduce the use of snuff and save countless lives," said Matthew L. Myers, the chairman in a statement.

According to the NGO, more than 17% of Brazilian adults smoke, and snuff kills 200 000 Brazilians every year.

Other countries in the region that have implemented legislation to completely ban smoking in indoor public or private are Uruguay, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Argentina, Honduras, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and El Salvador.