Mayor of São Paulo Enacts Smoke-Free Law for Municipal Public Parks

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Bruno Covas, the mayor of São Paulo, on Friday, August 30th, signed into law the prohibition of smoking in the city’s municipal public parks. The rule applies to cigarettes, cigarillos, pipes, cigars, hookahs, and any other smoke-producing products.

According to the text, authored by city councilor Ricardo Teixeira, the fine for anyone caught in violation of the rule is R$500 (US$125). Signage notices of the ban and of areas that will serve as smoking facilities are expected to be placed.

For the past ten years, the city of São Paulo has had a smoke-free law for enclosed areas, such as bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. The fine for this rule is higher, amounting to R$1,253.50, and is doubles in the event of a repeat offense. The establishment in violating may be closed for up to thirty days.

Covas believes that there will be no difficulty in accepting the new law, because it is a cultural issue, and it should be adopted by the population, just like the law that prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars.

“When the law banning smoking in restaurants in São Paulo was passed, there was concern over its control. Today, there are no fines in bars and restaurants, and no one smokes in these venues. It has already become a cultural issue. Much more than punishing people, it’s a matter of awareness,” concluded the mayor.