A ban on tobacco company advertising and sponsorship takes effect Friday after a revised law was published in the federal government’s official gazette.
The updated General Law for Tobacco Control also establishes workplaces, schools, public access areas, sporting and entertainment facilities and public transit as 100% smoke-free areas, although smoking is already generally banned in those places.
The promulgation of the revised law comes after the Senate approved the modifications in December and submitted them to the president for his approval.
A decree published in the official gazette directed states and municipalities to adapt their laws, edicts and other regulations to ensure compliance with the reform.
A range of organizations have been advocating tighter controls on tobacco for years.
Mauricio Hernández, a director at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), a major public health care provider, celebrated the promulgation of the updated law, describing it as a “great achievement for public health.”
According to the federal Health Ministry, over one-quarter of deaths due to cancer are related to the use of tobacco.
Approximately 15 million Mexicans smoke, the newspaper El Financiero reported last year, while 19% of all cigarettes smoked here are contraband, the Confederation of Industrial Chambers said in a recent report
With reports from Reforma
