Speakers at today's press conference in Mexico City, from left to right: Michael Eriksen, co-author, The Tobacco Atlas; John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer, American Cancer Society; Dr. Guadalupe Ponciano, director, Clinic Against Tobacco and vice-president, Mexico Council Against Tobacco; Dr. Mauricio Hernandez Avila, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Mexico; Peter Baldini, chief executive officer, World Lung Foundation
On April 14, the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation hosted a press conference to launch The Tobacco Atlas, Third Edition, in Spanish, held in Mexico City, Mexico. The book, co-published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, presents the latest data on global tobacco use and tobacco control, displaying much of the data in full color maps and charts. The speakers at today’s launch included the second-highest ranking health official in Mexico, representatives of the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, a Tobacco Atlas co-author, and a Mexican tobacco control expert. The speakers were united in their praise of The Tobacco Atlas as a critical tool in the fight against the global cancer burden. All of them emphasized how the new Spanish version of the book serves as a valuable resource to give Spanish-speakers in Latin America and other parts of the world the knowledge they need in their language to move tobacco control efforts forward in their countries, including tobacco control advocates, government officials, and the general public. Information in the The Tobacco Atlas and in the remarks of speakers at today’s press conference shows how Mexico is leading the way in tobacco control efforts in Latin America. It was the first country in the Americas to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and has established a 100% smoke-free law in Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world.
The press conference was covered by 24 Mexican journalists from leading Mexican media organizations. Speakers included Dr. John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer, American Cancer Society, Peter Baldini, chief executive officer, World Lung Foundation; Dr. Mauricio Hernandez Ávila, undersecretary for the Ministry of Health, Mexico; Dr. Michael Eriksen, Tobacco Atlas co-author; and Dr. Guadalupe Ponciano, director, Clinic Against Tobacco and vice-president of the Mexico Council Against Tobacco. For more information on The Tobacco Atlas, including three other language versions (English, French, and Chinese), please visit www.TobaccoAtlas.org or www.cancer.org/global.