Guayaquil, March 9, 2023
The Zonal Coordination 8 of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), on March 7, 2023, delivered certificates of 100% smoke-free spaces to 94 private companies for having complied with the entire process established in the Organic Law for the Regulation and Control of Tobacco (LORCT).
Cigarette or tobacco smoke, in addition to affecting and causing harmful effects to the people who consume it, causes damage to those around them. This smoke generates residues that are impregnated in the clothes of the person who has smoked, which causes them to carry these harmful substances into the home or other spaces.
With these certifications, the MSP seeks to generate business and citizen commitment, through actions that create 100% smoke-free spaces in the country’s public and private entities.
“At the beginning our workers had a bit of resistance to this new work modality, however, little by little they adapted and understood that the benefit would be both for them and their families. For this reason and for accompanying us throughout the process to obtain this certification, we are very grateful to the MSP staff,” said Aracely Cagua, representative of Cridesa SA, one of the beneficiary companies.
Companies wishing to obtain this certification must submit a letter of intent to be 100% smoke-free spaces, addressed to the MSP; then create a health promotion and prevention committee with members from the different departments; train staff in the LORCT regulations, among other requirements.
In Ecuador, approximately 4,000 people a year die from tobacco use, that is, eleven people every day. Likewise, there are thousands of chronically ill and disabled people because of this tobacco addiction.
The National Government, through the Ministry of Health, promotes spaces that are 100% free of tobacco smoke and implements policies for prevention and offers specialized services to quit smoking.
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