Mango Valley Hotel – Grecia, Costa Rica

Costa Rica proposes a law against tobacco

The Costa Rican Partido Acción Ciudadana (Party of Citizen Action), is seeking to introduce a new law designed to eliminate (or severely reduce) the use of tobacco in Costa Rica.

The proposal is stricter than the laws proposed in the past. It will prohibit smoking in public places such as bars, restaurants, soccer stadiums and in the workplace.

It will also limit cigarette advertising during premium programs and forbid sponsoring of sporting and other events.

The measure will require larger health warnings on cigarette packs as well.

The legislature has already passed the World Health Organization Convention on tobacco. The new law seeks to make Costa Rica comply with the treaty against tobacco.

Costa Rica confirmed swine flu cases may increase by five more

As of today, Costa Rica has only nine confirmed cases. but the health ministry says that five more cases are probable. Three of those cases are persons who had been in contact with the Boston Canta Mundi choir. 

So far out of the suspected 873 cases, 735 have been discarded in Costa Rica.

In spite of all the scare, the World Health Organization believes that this particular pandemic has nothing to do with the severity of the disease, but rather with its geographic spread, and so far, it has been relatively mild.

Source:   World Health Organization