Starting January, 15th, open terraces will be closed to smokers in Mexico

As of today, it is forbidden to display cigarette packs on the counters of stores and other points of sale in Mexico.

In addition, smoking is not allowed in terraces of bars or restaurants, near parks, in schools, or other public spaces.

This is part of the modifications to the Regulation of the General Law for Tobacco Control, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on December 16, 2022.

In a tour made by El Heraldo de México, owners of restaurants and terraces of the main commercial corridors of the capital rejected this measure, since they affirm: “we are barely recovering from the two years of the pandemic“.

They even explained that this would mean a greater loss, since “with the COVID-19 restrictions we had to look for open-air spaces and comply with the hygiene measures that the authorities asked of us; everyone invested in it and it will be lost“.

“Customers are going to be upset, they are going to leave. It is a complete prohibition issue, I think the authorities should be sensitized because it will cause economic and employment losses; when it is not the virus, it is the government with the cigarette issue”, said Luis Sandoval, owner of the London Blue Terrace, in Zona Rosa, CDMX.

Workers at these places are still unaware of the regulation and mentioned that they have not been notified if they will have to ask customers to extinguish their cigarettes.

In convenience stores, it was observed that the tobacco displays were covered or the packs were turned upside down to hide the brands.

The IP announced that on Monday they will file an injunction, considering that the regulation exceeds the provisions of the law.

Coparmex in the CDMX warned that in the capital there are more than 85 thousand grocery stores that will be impacted since up to 25 percent of their monthly income comes from the sale of cigarettes.

TYT Newsroom