Vaping is under attack in Mexico under a decree signed Tuesday that outlaws the sale of e-cigarettes.
The measure continues Mexico’s anti-vaping policy that heightened in October when imports of the devices were banned.
Even before that, consumer protection and other laws had been used to discourage sales.
The announcement was made during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s daily press briefing on World No Tobacco Day. The annual celebration is the World Health Organization’s initiative to inform the public about the dangers of using tobacco.
Still, many customers import or buy vaping cartridges or fluid under the table or online.
The executive order pointed to a WHO report that e-cigarette emissions “contain nicotine and other toxic substances that are harmful to both users, and non-users who are exposed to the aerosols second-hand.”
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López Gatell lashed out at industry claims that vaping is safer than smoking, calling it “a big lie.”
Mexico estimates that at least 5 million of its citizens have tried vaping at least once.
Source: The Associated Press
