It was adopted in the interest of public health, especially that of young people. Anyone caught breaking the law faces jail terms of one to eight years and fines of up to £9,380. Lawmakers added a final paragraph clarifying that users carrying up to two e-cigarettes or vapes will be free from prosecution. It now awaits the President, Claudia Sheinbaum, who supports the bill, to take effect. She said: “There is this idea that not smoking tobacco or a cigarette can be replaced by using a vape, and the truth is that in some cases vapes are even more harmful than cigarettes. You should not smoke cigarettes, and you should not use vapes.” Residents also appear to be in favor of the ban. Valentina, a resident of Mexico City, said: “It would be good if they banned them, because people like me keep buying them, and the truth is that they are very cheap everywhere.”
Citizens’ Movement (MC) party delegate Iraís Reyes pushed back against the ban, saying: “Not regulating a product that people already consume equates to more black market and more money for drug traffickers, who will receive their Christmas bonus in December, thanks to Morena.”
She added that the lawmakers passing the bill are “hypocrites” and saying, “You guys are vaping. We saw you. I don’t know how you can come here and propose a ban when you’re vaping users yourself.”
Opposition Senator Luis Colosio said the government was avoiding the responsibility of regulating and monitoring the industry by completely banning vaping. He said: “Bans are nothing more than an easy way out of a problem they are neither willing nor able to control.”
Vapes and e-cigarettes are already banned in Argentina and Brazil. Brazil has strengthened its vaping ban in 2024 so that all products are illegal, even for personal use. Argentina has had a ban on e-cigarettes since 2011.
Single-use vapes have been banned in Britain since July this year. By 2023, almost five million disposable vapes were thrown away every week.
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