Mexico now bans smoking in hotels, beaches, parks and all other public spaces — one of the world’s strictest laws of its kind.
The General Law for Tobacco Control reform, which took effect on Sunday, also prohibits businesses from promoting, advertising or sponsoring tobacco products, including putting them on display for sale. The law expands a 2008 ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces. Similar restrictions will fall on e-cigarettes and vaping.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus applauded the policy.
“Bravo Mexico!” he said on Twitter. “WHO welcomes such a bold move on tobacco control. We call on all countries to strengthen No Tobacco policies and help us prevent 8 million deaths every year!”
An estimated 142 million people use tobacco products in the Americas. Of those, 122 million are smokers, with 1 million dying per year — “ one death every 34 seconds,” a WHO website notes.