RIO DE JANEIRO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A series of restriction laws to make closed spaces smoke-free have resulted in a reduction of 15,000 in the number of child deaths in Brazil from 2000 to 2016, according to a study published on Friday.
Several Brazilian states implemented laws against smoking in public closed spaces from 2000 to 2012. In 2011, a federal law established full prohibition of closed space smoking across the country. The law took effect in 2014.
The study spearheaded by Brazil's National Cancer Institute (INCA) showed that, from 2000 to 2016, relevant laws have prevented the death of 15,068 children under the age of one year.
Secondhand smoking is known as one of the leading causes of several diseases in children, such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, acute and chronic otitis, and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
"Before the smoke-free environments laws, babies and children inhaled cigarette smoke everywhere: malls, supermarkets, public transportation and restaurants," said INCA epidemiologist Liz Almeida, one of the study's authors.
Better awareness of the problem now has resulted in a decrease in tobacco uses, even among pregnant women, said Almeida.
"Our study reaffirms the understanding that children have the right to effective tobacco control actions. This is yet another reason for governments to overcome the tobacco industry's interference and advance the implementation of essential life-saving measures," added INCA researcher Andre Szklo, another author of the study.
