MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador plans to propose a law prohibiting e-cigarettes and vapes before his term concludes in 2024, as per Reuters. This comes after his earlier attempt to ban their sale was overturned by the supreme court. Mexico already enforces one of the world’s strictest anti-tobacco laws, including a ban on smoking in public places, including streets, and the import of e-cigarettes is also prohibited.
“It’s clear they’re harmful to your health,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated, as reported by Reuters.
As Emily’s Hope reported earlier this year, the United Kingdom (UK) is also considering banning disposable vapes. The government is considering the move because of fears that the vaping products, often flavored to attract younger users, are enticing teenagers.
Other Western countries have also already taken measures to restrict or prohibit disposable vapes. Australia, for instance, has banned all vaping without a prescription, while Germany has prohibited flavored e-cigarettes, and New Zealand has outlawed most disposable vapes, in addition to implementing marketing restrictions aimed at children. France has also announced its intention to ban all disposable e-cigarettes.
Meanwhile, in the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only authorized 23 tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products, yet the number of e-cig devices sold in the U.S. has nearly tripled to more than 9,000 since 2000. More than 1 in 10 Americans ages 18-24 are using e-cigarettes regularly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
