Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Tobacco Banned in Green Zone

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

CARACAS, Aug 19 2006 (IPS) - The 75-hectare Parque del Este (East Park), a green area in the middle of the Venezuelan capital, will become smoke-free before the end of the year, announced Parks Institute spokeswoman Carolina Albarrán. “In the areas where we see highest consumption of cigarettes — a habit of 22 percent of the 26 million Venezuelans — we are promoting agreements and ordinances to create ever more spaces free of tobacco smoke,” Rose Melkon, of the Health Ministry's anti-tobacco program, told Tierramérica.

The program already includes the Parque del Oeste (West Park), also in Caracas, and the Parks Institute says it is studying an extension of the initiative to all areas under its authority.