Facing a capacity crowd in the town's only cemetery and other government-protected properties, Pereira da Silva, mayor of the Brazilian town of Biritiba-Mirim, wants to impose fines or jail time on the families of those who die too young. His proposed law would make it an offense for the town's 28,000 residents to neglect adequate health care for themselves or family members. Should death result, fines and jail time could follow.

The state government had promised the town a new vertical cemetery, but, to date, nothing has been done. Mayor da Silva offers his new proposal as an attempt to discourage death and resultant cemetery use.

Since announcement of the proposed law, both gym use and health care visits have increased. The mayor has not yet revealed, however, whether his office plans to impose civil restrictions on the deceased themselves.