Mexico tightens ban on smoking in public places - BBC

1 year ago 54

A antheral   smokes successful  a nationalist   plaza successful  Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, 13 January 2023Image source, Reuters

By Will Grant

Mexico and Central America Correspondent

Mexico has brought into unit 1 of the world's strictest anti-tobacco laws by enacting a full prohibition connected smoking successful nationalist places.

The step, which was archetypal approved successful 2021, besides includes a prohibition connected baccy advertising.

Several different Latin American countries person besides passed authorities to make smoke-free nationalist spaces.

However, Mexico's authorities is considered to beryllium the astir robust and wide-ranging successful the Americas.

It amounts to 1 of the astir stringent anti-smoking laws successful the world. Mexico's existing 2008 instrumentality - which created smoke-free spaces successful bars, restaurants and workplaces - is present extended to an outright prohibition successful each nationalist spaces. That includes parks, beaches, hotels, offices and restaurants.

There volition besides beryllium a full prohibition connected the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of baccy products, meaning that cigarettes cannot adjacent beryllium connected amusement wrong shops.

Vapes and e-cigarettes are besides taxable to tighter caller restrictions, peculiarly indoors.

The Pan American Health Organisation has welcomed the measurement and applauded the Mexican authorities for implementing the ban.

The organisation says that baccy usage is the azygous astir preventable origin of decease successful the world, liable for astir a cardinal deaths successful the Americas each year, either done nonstop depletion oregon vulnerability to second-hand smoke.

However, immoderate smokers are dismayed astatine the draconian quality of the caller law.

In essence, it means that galore volition lone beryllium allowed to fume successful their homes oregon different backstage residences.

Others person raised questions astir the practicalities of enforcing the law.

With constabulary corruption truthful rampant successful Mexico, galore fearfulness that alternatively than issuing existent fines oregon punishments for smoking successful public, immoderate officers volition usage it arsenic a pretext for taking bribes.

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