Canadians travelling to Mexico are now out of luck if they want to light up on the beach..The Mexican government has brought into force one of the world’s strictest anti-tobacco laws by enacting a total ban on smoking in public places. .BBC News reported the move, which was first approved in 2021, includes a ban on tobacco advertising. .Many other Latin American countries have passed laws to create smoke-free public spaces. Mexico’s law is considered to be one of the most robust in the world. .Mexico enacted a law in 2018 creating smoke-free spaces in bars, restaurants, and workplaces. The updated law expands the ban into all public places, including parks, beaches, hotels, offices, and restaurants. .There will be a total ban on advertising, promoting, and sponsoring tobacco products, which means cigarettes cannot be shown inside stores. Vapes and e-cigarettes are subject to tighter new restrictions, particularly indoors. .The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has welcomed the move and applauded the Mexican government for implementing it. PAHO said tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, responsible for close to one million deaths in the Americas per year, through direct consumption or exposure to second-hand smoke. .Some smokers said they are dismayed over how draconian the law is. .It means many will be restricted to smoking in their homes and other private residences. .This change comes after the New Zealand government passed the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill into law on December 13, which barred young people from buying tobacco and is expected to save thousands of lives. .READ MORE: New Zealand imposes lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes.“This legislation accelerates progress towards a smoke free future,” said New Zealand Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. .Verrall said the main changes the bill makes are reducing the amount of nicotine allowed in smoking tobacco products, decreasing the number of retailers selling tobacco, and ensuring it is not sold to anyone born in or after 2009.
