Sunday, December 22, 2024

Tobacco law prohibits advertising, establishes smoke-free areas

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 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A child sits on an adults shoulders at the Mexico City Christmas Verbena, with giant Christmas trees in the background and fake snow falling

Annual Christmas Verbena sets Mexico City Zócalo aglow with light

0
The downtown festivities will continue until Dec. 30 and are best enjoyed after dark.
Donald Trump, former President of the United States, and Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, toured the banks of the Rio Grande, which is currently surrounded by a dense mesh of barbed wire to prevent the entry of migrants. There, the president praised the immigration policy of this entity.

Texas launches billboard campaign referencing sexual assault to deter US-bound migrants

12
This initiative complements Operation Lone Star, which has reportedly led to deaths and injuries among migrants.
Sea turtle hatchlings on a beach

Cancún releases nearly 1 million sea turtle hatchlings to the ocean

0
Benito Juárez municipality described Cancún's 2024 hatching season as a success, with a 97% survival rate.