At the stroke of midnight on 28 April, the reform to the General Law for Tobacco Control was approved in Mexico with 415 votes in favour, 2 abstentions and 0 votes against.

The reform will protect the population from tobacco emissions in all closed public spaces in Mexico and will eliminate any form of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products. The reform comes after 13 years of interference from the tobacco industry and the complicity of legislators who stopped more than one hundred initiatives in favour of health by all political parties! 

Juan Núñez, coordinator of the Mexico Salud-Hable Coalition, who actively participated in public advocacy to support said reform, reported that national and international specialists, health authorities and social activists in favour of tobacco control took part in these actions, as well as people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). From December to April, the organisation sent letters to the Secretary of Economy, to the members of the Political Coordination Board of the Chamber of Deputies, and to the President of the Republic himself, to defend this legal reform, in addition to actively influencing social networks and participating in public forums and debates.

“As a promoter of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Mexico Salud-Hable Coalition highlighted the importance of restricting tobacco consumption, which is one of the five risk factors that cause NCDs, resulting in seven out of every 10 premature deaths in the country and the world,” he said. He also noted that the decision of the Senate of the Republic to carry out said reform is still pending, but he trusts that the TI officials shall remain isolated from the process.