- According to current statistics, 87% of the Mexican population does not use tobacco.
- The analysis carried out by Cofepris was a pioneer worldwide because it identified 30 substances in vapers that are extremely dangerous when inhaled.
- On January 15, 2023, the Tobacco Control Law Regulations were published.
Regarding World No Tobacco Day, there is an issue in which our country is advanced. It’s all thanks to the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) was the first health agency in the world to analyze the content of vapers. In this way it was identified that they are more harmful than conventional cigarettes.
Recent actions against tobacco
With this in mind, it is worth remembering that the Tobacco Control Law Regulations Its objective is to prevent the non-smoking population (87 percent of people in Mexico) from being exposed to secondhand smoke. At the same time that it respects the decision of the 12.7 percent of those who smoke, since health must be privileged above any other criteria.
The owner and the general director of the National Commission against Addictions (Conadic)Gady Zabicky Sirot and Evalinda Barrón Velázquez, respectively, as well as the person in charge of Cofepris, Alejandro Svarch Pérez.
Mexico is recognized worldwide for its efforts against tobacco with the updating of the Tobacco Control Law Regulations that came into force in January 2023. @CONADICmx pic.twitter.com/809ErKNOfv
– HEALTH Mexico (@SSalud_mx) May 30, 2023
The Health authorities informed that the regulation published on January 15 in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), contains two central measures. Expansion of spaces 100 percent free of tobacco smoke and emissions in places of collective concurrence and prohibition of the display of products at points of sale to prevent girls, boys and adolescents from being exposed to the marketing of the tobacco industry, avoiding normalization consumption since childhood.
The head of Conadic affirmed that “we are not in favor of prohibiting a product nor the conduct of tobacco, we do advise against it; however, this depends on each person and what we are prohibiting is a very specific circumstance where people who do not smoke must be protected from such harmful consumption”.
He called on ministers, judges and judges to respect the freedom of people to the free development of personality, the choice of a lifestyle and the decision of the majority.
“It is a fallacy that the ban on tobacco use in hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers will decrease profits, as has been demonstrated, hence the objective of the regulation is to protect non-smokers from the use of secondhand tobacco, with all the risks that this implies.
The general director of the Conadic, Evalinda Barrón, clarified that now you cannot smoke or consume any nicotine product in squares, stadiums, universities, parks and beaches because they are places of concurrence. Every year 63 thousand people die in Mexico for this cause; 11 percent of them had never smoked, but had been exposed to tobacco smoke.
Cofepris and the fight against vapers
The head of Cofepris, Alejandro Svarch, said that, given the serious health risks associated with tobacco smoke emitted by third parties, the signage for 100 percent smoke-free spaces was expanded to include other dangerous mechanisms such as pipes, cigars , vapers and cigarettes.
He stressed that Cofepris was the first health authority in the world to analyze the content of vaperswhere the presence of more than 30 unreported and extremely dangerous substances when inhaled was evidenced.
He explained that derived from the analysis, a campaign called “Check the vape” and the national denunciation were created, aimed especially at young people to help combat misinformation about these products through assertive communication.
The advisor on Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Determinants of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Vivian Pérez Jiménez, recognized the work of the Ministry of Health and Conadic for the actions taken to reduce tobacco consumption in favor of the health of the population.
He stressed that, with the regulation, Mexico is one of the 35 countries that make up PAHO with 100 percent smoke-free spaces and one of the nine to establish a comprehensive ban on product advertising.
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