Public health recently won over big tobacco in Uruguay, where Philip Morris International, a giant in the tobacco industry, attempted to sue Uruguay for its proposed tobacco control policies.
Philip Morris International first sued the nation six years ago for the new policies that are designed to decrease youth as well as adult smoking. The policies manage the packaging and marketing of cigarettes throughout the country.
Uruguay successfully won the case. Additionally, Philip Morris International has been required to pay for Uruguay’s legal expenses, amounting to $7 million.
The country’s win is a significant step forward for Uruguay and its national health. The news has inspired anti-smoking activists around the world.
"I got phone calls from just about everywhere," Eduardo Bianco, a Uruguayan cardiologist who is president of the Tobacco Epidemic Research Center, an anti-smoking group, said. "We are almost certainly going to be seeing other countries taking more aggressive measures to protect public health."
The American Cancer Society sees this case as proof that tobacco giants must stop bringing these kinds of lawsuits against nations; Congress is able to approve of a historic measure to stop these lawsuits from happening. The measure would be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and could make significant progress in the U.S. fight against cancer.
