Uruguay’s government declared that it may ease the anti-smoking laws due to Philip Morris complains.

The government announced that it would insert an amendment into the legislation which places large health warnings on cigarette packs and prohibits the sale of cigarettes branded as "light". “The changes will be insignificant,” said the government. The possible changes may be applied to the size of health warnings, reducing the current 80 % of the packet's size to 65 %. And they also may permit to sell "light" cigarettes.

Uruguay is the first country in South America that prohibited smoking in enclosed public places. As the national smoking ban came into effect in 2006 the secondhand smoke reduced significantly both in indoor public places and workplaces in the Uruguay capital. The overall decrease of nicotine between 2002 and 2007 constituted 91% and the more significant decreases were recorded in schools -97%, airport- 94% and hospital -89%.

Uruguay’s anti-tobacco laws are considered as the most rigorous in the world. These laws were implemented four years ago by the then president, Tabaré Vázquez, who is an oncologist and clearly sew the destructive effects of cigarettes and the increasing number of smoking-related cancer.

Any tobacco advertising and smoking in public places and buildings were prohibited. Vázquez even picked up an award from the World Health Organization in 2006 for making the South American country the main leader in the fight against tobacco.

At the beginning of the year Philip Morris that sells Marlboro and other well-known cigarette brands in more than 160 countries all over the world plead for arbitration proceedings at the World Bank's international centre for settlement of investment disputes (ICSID), declaring that the Uruguay’s anti-smoking restrictions affect its business and not the last but the least violate Uruguay's commercial transaction with Switzerland.

Uruguay's government stated yesterday that it would alter the legislation or most probably will issue a new law in order to avoid complains and comply with the foreign trade requirements.

”Uruguay is a very stable country from the legal point of view and the changes are not necessary. But from other side, we have to make the changes in law or adopt a new one “, the minister for foreign affairs, Luis Almagro, declared.

Despite the fact that Vázquez accomplished his five-year term in March, he accused the leading tobacco company of "racketeering" pressure.

“Philip Morris is only trying to show its power over a small country, which has just introduced an international example to follow on this issue” he declared.

”In case the government agrees to make changes in law, then will be another company that will try to use some “accords” to affect our ban on smoking”, Eduardo Bianco, head of anti-smoking group the Centre for Investigation of the Tobacco Epidemic, said.