Mexico City Pushes for Local Vape & E-Cigarette Ban

Mexico vape ban regulation

A local lawmaker in Mexico City is pushing for the approval of an initiative to ban the use of vapes and electronic cigarettes, aiming to align the capital’s legislation with existing federal prohibitions. Deputy Alberto Vanegas Arenas, representing the Morena party, stated that the Mexico City Congress will soon approve his proposal.

The initiative seeks to reform Article 9 of the local constitution to prohibit vapes and e-cigarettes. It also proposes modifying Mexico City’s Health Law to sanction all activities related to these devices and similar systems. Vanegas Arenas emphasized that this reform is a priority for the Morena Parliamentary Group to protect adolescents and youth.

He cited alarming statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), noting that while 1.5% of adults aged 18 and over use e-cigarettes, the rate among adolescents is much higher and growing rapidly. According to 2022 figures, 2.6% of adolescents aged 11 to 17 used these products, but by 2023, that number had surged to 4.6%. “This is alarming because in just one year, the number of adolescents who vape… has doubled,” Vanegas warned.

“We are going to do this from the Constitution because we see health as a right and not as a commodity,” he concluded, adding that this approach aims to close the door to any commercial or industry pressure.

Matthew Ma
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