Mexico‘s E-cigarette Ban Fails to Curb Usage but Incubates Black Market

A year after Mexico banned electronic cigarettes, usage among the country‘s populace remains uncurbed, according to local media outlet Excelsior. Data from the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) estimates that at least 5 million Mexicans between 12 and 65 years old have used e-cigarettes, 1.7 million of them being teenagers.

Meanwhile, the government‘s ban has fostered a thriving black market for e-cigarettes. Illegally sold e-cigarettes are available in bustling areas of Mexico City, with prices ranging from 400 to 1,200 pesos ($20-$60 USD) depending on the brand and substance. Some businesses have resorted to online sales through their websites, while others use vending machines in shopping malls, with no regulation.

A recent report suggests that the prohibition has not prevented the circulation of e-cigarettes, with an estimated 45% of teenagers aware of them and 1.7 million using them. Isaac Macip, a spokesperson for COFEPRIS, acknowledged that these products are addictive stimulants.

Salomón Chertorivski, a Mexican legislator, expressed concern about the omnipresence of e-cigarettes, and in March 2023, legislator Sergio Barrera Sepúlveda initiated a proposal calling for e-cigarette regulation due to the health risks posed by the black market. Isaac Macip mentioned that over 150,000 e-cigarettes have been seized nationwide under the coordination of the national committee.

In May 2022, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador enacted a decree banning the import and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, citing they pose greater risks than traditional cigarettes. However, despite this prohibition, the law has not been effectively enforced due to weak societal management and rampant official corruption.

Despite the ban implemented nearly a year ago, e-cigarette usage remains prevalent in Mexico, with their presence still rampant in areas like restaurants, bars, and outside schools.