- By presidential decree, the total prohibition of the consumption and commercialization of vapers and electronic cigarettes in Mexico was established.
- Inhalation of an excipient commonly found in vaping devices called vitamin E acetate poses a high health risk.
- All forms of tobacco consumption are harmful, but when it is done through vapers, the risk is greater.
In the middle of world no tobacco day An important announcement was made that has caused a division of opinions. It is about the prohibition of vapers in Mexico. The information was released by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and supported by the Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López-Gatell. But what will be the positive and negative effects of this measure?
The first notices of Cofepris
This decision did not come as a surprise because for months there has been a stance against this form of tobacco consumption on the part of the federal authorities. Only on May 19, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) published a maximum health alert for the health risks posed by products commonly called vapers in all their modalities.
Via a document reported how inhalation of an excipient frequently found in vaping devices called vitamin E acetate poses a high health risk. The reason is because it is a toxic substance that can cause acute respiratory diseases and even death.
Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs or vaporizers) and heated tobacco products are promoted as an alternative to smoking cessation. But the health authority mentions that its effectiveness has not been proven. Instead, its derivatives of carcinogenic compounds, toxic substances and emissions in the form of aerosol they represent a serious risk for those who consume them.
Prohibition instead of regulation?
Based on all of the above, the decision was made to approve the ban on the use and marketing of vapers in Mexico. On the one hand, some have been surprised that this determination has been made instead of a regulation.
Now, although this action has been applauded by many, it is feared that one of the direct consequences will be the promotion of the black market. As has happened with other products that cannot be marketed legally, apocryphal versions or those exported from other countries automatically appear.
In that sense, if vapers and e-cigarettes are already harmful, then unauthorized versions could be worse. Its damage to health would be greater and it is also part of an illicit business.
On the other hand, among those who question this decision are also those who denounce that there is already a ban on vapers but not on conventional tobacco. To date, it remains one of the most powerful industries in Mexico and the rest of the world.
In this vein, in recent years various strategies have been implemented to keep people away from smoking. From special taxes to placing explicit images and warning legends on packaging. Despite all efforts, addiction remains and people start smoking at younger and younger ages.
