Now, Mexico has joined this list. This law, which is a part of Mexico’s “General Law for Tobacco Control” reform, has forced a ban on smoking in public areas, including hotels, beaches, and parks. Also included in this reform is a ban on tobacco promotion, advertisements, and sponsorship. It’s expected that the sale of e-cigarettes and vapes will also face pushback in the near future.
It is no secret that tobacco use is a deadly habit, so why is this tobacco ban only seen in seven countries? A measure like such is an attack on one of the largest and most powerful industries in the world. In the U.S., smoking was close to being obsolete amongst youth until vaping gained popularity. In 2019, tobacco industries spent 8.2 billion dollars on advertising and strategically targeting youth with factors appealing to adolescents, such as candy and fruit-flavored products, celebrity endorsements, and misleading claims that vaping is “healthier” than cigarettes. Mexico and other countries’ bold bans on tobacco is a censure against an affluent and influential industry, but these countries will hopefully be the first of many. Results of a complete tobacco ban in EU countries were favorable. 84% of EU citizens prefer a smoke-free workplace and 79% prefer it in restaurants as well. Exposure rates dropped from 46 to 28 percent, and immediate optimized health effects were observed as improvements in respiratory health. Comments are closed.
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