|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By making it illegal to smoke in public places, Mexico has created one of the world’s strictest laws against tobacco use. The step, which was approved for the first time in 2021, also bans tobacco ads. Several other Latin American countries have also passed laws to make public places where people can’t smoke. But Mexico’s laws are thought to be the strongest and most comprehensive in the Americas.
It is one of the strictest laws against smoking in the world. Mexico’s law from 2008, which made it illegal to smoke in bars, restaurants, and workplaces, has now been changed to make it illegal to smoke in all public places. That means parks, beaches, hotels, offices, and restaurants, among other places.
Also, there will be a total ban on advertising, promoting, and sponsoring tobacco products. This means that cigarettes can’t even be on display in stores. E-cigarettes and vapes are also subject to stricter rules, especially inside.
The Pan American Health Organization has said that this is a good step and praised the Mexican government for putting the ban into place.
The organisation says that smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, causing nearly a million deaths in the Americas every year, either from smoking directly or from being around people who do. Some smokers are upset, though, about how harsh the new law is.
In essence, it means that many people will only be able to smoke in their homes or other private places. Others have asked about how the law can be enforced in real life.
Because police corruption is so common in Mexico, many people worry that some officers will use people smoking in public as an excuse to take bribes instead of giving real fines or punishments.