The legislature in Peru has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a law that bans tobacco use in all public, enclosed spaces, including casinos.
The 120-member unicameral congress approved the law with a vote of 60 to 4, with 13 abstentions, according to Europa Press. The move brings Peru into compliance with a World Health Organization agreement on smoking policy.
Luis Alva Castro, president of the congress, said of the law, “We must respect the health of the non-smokers, who are the majority.”
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is the first international treaty negotiated under the WHO umbrella, with 168 nations and regional economic integration organizations. Adopted in 2005 after three years of negotiation, the Tobacco Free Initiative is one of the most widely and rapidly ratified treaties in the history of the United Nations.
