Main content

Taking On Tobacco - Lung Cancer in Uruguay

Uruguay takes on Big Tobacco in crusade to save its citizens

For more than 65 years we have known that smoking kills. So how can it be that a Mexican wave of tobacco use, disease and death is heading at breakneck speed towards the world鈥檚 poorest people? Millions will die of lung cancer and it is hard to grasp that this is a largely preventable disease.

Uruguay in South America could hold the key to breaking this wave. Under a President who is a cancer specialist they introduced some of the most radical tobacco control policies in the world and attracted the wrath of corporate tobacco giant, Philip Morris, in the process. Anu Anand reports on Uruguay鈥檚 crusade to save its citizens.

Image: Roberto, life long smoker who has lung cancer
Credit: Anu Anand

Release date:

Available now

26 minutes

Space

The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

A pair of scientific sleuths answer your perplexing questions. Ask them anything!

Podcast