Mexico has introduced one of the world’s toughest smoking bans.
The law, approved in 2021 and put in place this week, also includes a ban on tobacco advertising.
This expands a 2008 law that created smoke-free spaces in bars, restaurants and workplaces. Now, the law is an outright ban on all public spaces, including parks and beaches.
Advertising and promotion depicting cigarettes or their logos are also supposed to be eliminated from shops and billboards.
An estimated 16% of adults in Mexico are tobacco smokers. Smoking causes nearly a million deaths in the Americas each year. Bolivia and Chile hold the highest smoking rates in Latin America, at 40% and 38.7%, respectively.
The sale and use of e-cigarettes and vapes are also due to face new restrictions.
