Mexico tightens ban on smoking in public places

Mexico has brought into force one of the world's strictest anti-tobacco laws by enacting a total ban on smoking in public places. The step, which was first approved in 2021, also includes a ban on tobacco advertising. Several other Latin American countries have also passed legislation to create smoke-free public spaces.

However, Mexico's legislation is considered to be the most robust and wide-ranging in the Americas. It amounts to one of the most stringent anti-smoking laws in the world. Mexico's existing



2008 law - which created smoke-free spaces in bars, restaurants and workplaces - is now extended to an outright ban in all public spaces. That includes parks, beaches, hotels, offices and restaurants. 

There will also be a total ban on the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, meaning that cigarettes cannot even be on show inside shops. Vapes and e-cigarettes are also subject to tighter new restrictions, particularly indoors.