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Mexico Approves Jail Terms and Heavy Fines for Vape Sales, Bill Awaits Sheinbaum's Signature

Sheinbaum portrays the crackdown as a public-health step.

Mexico imposes strict jail
A woman vapes during a protest outside the Senate after Mexican lower house lawmakers passed a proposal to alter the constitution to include a ban on e-cigarettes and vaping devices, in Mexico City, Mexico December 10, 2024. REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo
Mexico is now poised to join a handful of countries with laws imposing criminal penalties related to vaping

Overview

  • The Senate ratified changes to the General Health Law after lower house approval, sending the measure to the president for enactment.
  • Producing or selling vapes and e-cigarettes could bring up to eight years in prison and fines of up to 226,000 pesos, about $12,500.
  • Personal use of vaping devices is not banned, with penalties targeting commercial production and retail activity.
  • Sheinbaum argues vapes can be as harmful as cigarettes and says authorities are coordinating with states to deter illegal markets and possible organized-crime involvement.
  • Opposition Senator Luis Colosio condemns the plan as prohibitionist, while vapes remain widely available in Mexico City and enforcement plans for street-level sales are unspecified.