The Government will increase the campaign against smoking increasing the price of the cigarettes and the publicity which appears on the packages. Also personal health guides will be given to all personnel involved in health, with information about the care with the ill people and the importance of the damage caused by smoking.

The resolution was taken by the ministry council yesterday, when the president Tabaré Vázquez asked to double the effort and apply all legal instruments available that allow them to combat frontally against the tobacco consumption.

After the council meeting, the Health Minister María Julia Muñoz, stated the higher consumption is seen in underdeveloped countries, as the tobacco industry is making there their biggest effort directed to women and poor people. She pointed out that to those people the anti tobacco campaign is being directed which will be applied by the Government shortly. The measure of increasing the price through taxes will do this. As requested by the President, the publicity on the boxes against the consumption will also be increased. During the council meeting he reminded that May 31^st is the World Day Against Tobacco Consumption and therefore he presented the guide lines for a National Plan and for first level attention in health. He pointed out that comparing the diseases up to the present of the "pork" flu, one can notice that the same quantity of people die a day because of smoking.

During the meeting, the president underlined the importance of informing the people about the damage caused by tobacco in human, especially with lung cancer.

"Uruguay free of tobacco smoke" is the chosen matter by the president for his last speech at the General Assembly of the UNO. For that reason we will have to apply all legal resources to reach that goal.