The tobacco industry continues to present the illicit trade of tobacco products as a reason to slow, stop, or reverse tobacco control efforts in Latin America, including increasing tobacco excise taxes. In most cases, industry estimates of illicit trade, usually non-transparent and flawed, dwarf those of independent, rigorous research. Often, independent studies find that the levels of illicit trade are mostly non-consequential or easily manageable (<12%). Almost always, industry findings grossly overestimate the illicit market.

Almost 20 years after the launching by the Pan American Health Organization of its “Smoke-Free Americas” initiative in 2001, in December 2020, South America became the first subregion in the Americas to accomplish 100% smoke-free environments in line with Article 8 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Objective

To assess progress in and barriers to implementing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) in Uruguay, which has a complete ban, and Argentina, with a partial ban.

Methods

Legislation on TAPS bans in Uruguay and Argentina was reviewed and relevant published literature, news stories, civil society reports and tobacco industry reports retrieved to analyze progress in implementing TAPS bans.

This special report describes the methodology for calculating the indicator for the adoption of effective mechanisms to counter interference by the tobacco industry and those who work to further its interests, as established in the Strategy and Plan of Action to Strengthen Tobacco Control in the Region of the Americas 2018-2022; the report also presents the status of adoption of these mechanisms in the countries of the Region as of 2019, and progress since 2016.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of exposure to Internet communications on and advertising of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their association with perceptions of the social acceptability of e-cigarettes in Mexico.

Objective

To explore the association between reporting conflict of interest (COI) and having a positive outcome toward vaping in scientific articles.

Objective

Estimate economic and health benefits, by sex and income quintile, of tax-based cigarette price increases in Mexico.

Methods

An extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) model was used to estimate distributional benefits for women and men in the scenario of a 44% increase in the price of cigarettes (from 56.4 Mexican pesos [MX$] to MX$81.2 per pack), as a result of tripling the current specific excise tax (from MX$0.49/cigarette to MX$1.49/cigarette). The model was calibrated with official national information sources.

This study aimed to estimate the return on investments of three population-level tobacco cessation strategies and three pharmacological interventions. The analysis included 124 low- and middle-income countries and assumed a 10-year investment period (2021–2030). The results indicate that all six cessation programs could help about 152 million tobacco users quit and save 2.7 million lives during 2021–2030. If quitters were followed until 65 years of age, 16 million lives could be saved from quitting.

Objective

Characterize and describe reports of suspected adverse reactions to a group of drugs used in Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru to treat or prevent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) between 1 March and 31 August 2020.