Smoking in Mexico
Mexico regulates tobacco products including cigarettes under a legal framework that permits their sale and use but restricts certain practices. Based on these regulations, purchasing cigarettes from vending machines or online is illegal. Health warnings on packaging are mandatory and the minimum legal age for sales is 18 years. There are also restrictions on smoking in public places. Mexico has implemented a ban on all tobacco advertising. The total taxation rate on tobacco products is 67.59% including a specific excise tax of 15.55%. In 2024, an estimated 15.2 million adult individuals were reported as current smokers. This shows that the current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults was 15.4%, including 23.9% among males and 7.6% among females. In 2021, daily smoking rates indicated that 6.9 million Mexicans smoke daily which represented 8.6% of the adult population. Data from the same year show that the prevalence of daily smoking was 13.2% among men and 4.4% among women. Tobacco-related mortality is also high in Mexico. Statistics from 2021 show that 39,500 deaths were attributable to tobacco smoking. Among them, 30,000 were men and 9,600 were women. In In 2021, tobacco smoking accounted for 3.54% of all deaths, with higher mortality rates among males (4.64%) compared to females (2.04%).
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October 31, 2024 by clearingtheair.eu
Mexico to ban vapes by the end of the year
Mexico's president plans to constitutionally ban vapes by 2025 to curb their black market, mostly controlled by organized crime. With 1.7 million users, a legal and illegal market exists, with dangerous unregulated products. Critics fear a ban will worsen issues and empower crime further, hurting public health and tax revenue. Advocates suggest regulating vapes like tobacco to ensure safety and revenue. The ban, addressing youth vaping, may lead to unintended consequences. Vape regulation is a proposed alternative to reduce harm effectively. Organized crime profits billions from the illicit vape trade.
October 29, 2024 by theguardian.com
Will Mexico’s plan to constitutionally ban vapes play into the hands of cartels?
Mexico aims to ban e-cigarettes and vapes by amending its constitution, driven by health concerns. Organized crime controls 90% of the market, leading to a 5bn peso black market with associated violence and health risks from unregulated products. Enforcing the ban could worsen these issues by consolidating control under criminal groups. Some suggest regulating vapes instead, like alcohol and tobacco, to ensure safety, quality, and tax revenue for public health. Despite concerns about youth targeting and health risks, banning vapes may not be the most effective solution. Balderas and Ospina advocate for a balanced approach to reduce harm in the complex grey market.
May 15, 2024 by medicalxpress.com
New research sheds light on why college students in Mexico choose to vape
The study examines vaping habits among college students in Mexico, revealing factors influencing use like peer pressure and perceptions of safety. Despite Mexico's ban on vaping, many students reported using e-cigarettes due to influences from friends, family, and marketing. Concerns were raised about the lack of campus policies and education on vaping, leading students to purchase products illegally. The study emphasizes the importance of tailored vaping cessation strategies for young adults and calls for increased education on the risks associated with vaping. The researchers are actively providing vaping education and support to students interested in quitting.
March 29, 2024 by gfn.tv
MEXICO'S VAPING DILEMMA | O'Gorman explores Mexico's hardline approach to vaping
Mexico's President is seeking to solidify Mexico's hardline approach to vaping with a proposal to ban vaping through a constitutional amendment, to the consternation of vaping advocates who fear smokers will lose access to these safer alternatives in the country. Joining us to today is Tomás O'Gorman, co-founder of "Pro-Vapeo Mexico" and a member of INNCO’s Board, who highlights the hardening of Mexico's anti-vaping stance and the impact this could have on smokers' ability to quit in Mexico.
December 12, 2023 by reuters.com
Mexico president to push forward anti-vape bill
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador plans to present a law banning e-cigarettes and vapes before he leaves office in 2024, he said on Monday, after the supreme court overruled his previous attempt to outlaw their sale. "It's proven they're bad for your health," he said at a regular news conference on Monday. Mexico has one of the world's strictest anti-tobacco laws, after passing a bill for a total ban on smoking in public places - including the street - in January.
December 08, 2023 by gfn.tv
GFN.TV Interviews | BANNED IN MEXICO | Physicist Reacts to Draconian Vape Laws
Mexico’s ban on nicotine vaping leaves consumers caught in the crossfire. While the “tobacco wars” narrative is obsolete, it continues to cause damage, says physicist and tobacco harm reduction advocate Dr. Roberto Sussman. While the tobacco industry today is no longer the villain it once was, public health campaigners continue to wage war, striking disruptive technologies like nicotine vapes that provide safe and effective alternatives to combustible tobacco.
January 23, 2023 by filtermag.org
Mexico’s Government Thinks Criminalization Will Stamp Out Smoking
If you thought Mexico’s drug war was only about illegal drugs like fentanyl or cocaine, you would be wrong. The country’s war on nicotine has just dealt people who smoke cigarettes or vape a serious blow. A law took effect on January 15 that imposes a total ban on smoking in all public places—you can now only smoke in your home or outdoors on private property. It simultaneously imposes tighter restrictions on nicotine vapes, which also cannot legally be used in public places.
There is also a total ban on the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products. For shops that sell cigarettes, it is now against the law to openly display them.
January 16, 2023 by go.com
Mexico imposes one of world’s strictest anti-smoking laws
One of the World’s strictest anti-tobacco laws has been imposed in Mexico, setting in force a total ban on smoking in public places, including hotels, beaches and parks.
The new law, which is part of the country's General Law for Tobacco Control reform, came into force on Sunday. It will also see the total ban on the promotion, advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products. The sale and use of e-cigarettes and vapes are also due to face new restrictions. The new blanket ban extends on an existing federal and state tobacco control law which came into place in 2008, banning smoking in indoor spaces such as bars, restaurants and workplaces.
June 12, 2022 by filtermag.org
Mexico Keeps Moving Closer to Total Vape Prohibition
Commercialization of vaping devices has always been technically illegal in Mexico. Usage, however, has not been, and the growth of a relatively unregulated vaping market reached almost 1 million occasional or daily users in 2017, according to government sources. The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the prohibition of vapes is unconstitutional; while vapers were cautiously optimistic that the decision would create a regulated vaping market, non-regulation has stubbornly prevailed.
June 01, 2022 by medicalxpress.com
Mexico bans sales of 'harmful' e-cigarettes
Mexico banned sales of electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices on Tuesday because of concerns about their health effects, the government announced. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said it was a "lie" to claim that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to inhaling tobacco smoke.
"The vapors are also harmful for health," added Lopez Obrador, who signed a decree introducing the ban on World No Tobacco Day. He showed a pink vaping device to illustrate how the products are intended to appeal to young people.
"Look at the color, the design," Lopez Obrador said.