Mexico is the Latest Country to Enact a Ban on Vaping Devices

Mexico is the latest country to enact a ban on vaping devices. The ban was announced by President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador on May 31, 2022; World No Tobacco Day.

World No Tobacco Day is an advocacy day started by the World Health Organization aimed at informing the public about the dangers of tobacco use. While e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, it seems like political leaders don’t realize, or don’t care, about this fact.

Mexico’s president had already signed an executive order that banned the importation of electronic cigarettes in October. This move marks a continuation of the government’s anti-vaping policy.

The decree signed on Tuesday prohibits the “circulation and marketing” of electronic cigarettes or vaping devices, as well as tobacco heaters. This, combined with the passing of a General Import and Export Tax Law earlier this month, means that these products are now banned from being imported and sold within the country.

This ban has been enacted because authorities are concerned about the health effects of vaping. Mexico’s Health Minister Hugo Lopez Gatell said on Tuesday that claims vaping is a healthy alternative to tobacco are a “big lie.”

“The vapors are also harmful to human health,” said Lopez Obrador as he signed the bill into law, adding that vaping devices have been designed to appeal to young people.

But what about traditional cigarettes? Have they been banned in Mexico too? Unsurprisingly, no. 

Those who have stayed up-to-date and familiar with vaping bans won’t be surprised that a country banning vaping still allows cigarettes to be sold. However, Mexico City authorities said they would ban smoking of any kind in the capital’s main square, the Zocalo, and nearby neighborhoods. How health conscious of them.