Mexican Congress Postpones Debate on Vape and E-Cigarette Ban

Key Points

• The Chamber of Deputies postponed the debate on the full ban of vapes and e-cigarettes to next Tuesday.
• The reform would completely prohibit the sale and distribution of these devices.
• Lawmaker Amancay González Franco (MC) warned that the bill excludes tobacco heaters like Philip Morris’s IQOS, allegedly more harmful to health.
• The reform introduces prison terms of 1–8 years for purchasing vapes, a penalty stricter than for possessing small amounts of narcotics.
• Critics argue the measure criminalizes youth and serves tobacco industry interests rather than public health.

2Firsts, December 5, 2025 — According to La Jornada, Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies has postponed until next Tuesday the debate on amendments to the General Health Law that would impose a complete ban on the distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes and vapes.

The decision was first made by the Political Coordination Board and later confirmed by the full chamber, which voted to modify the agenda that originally scheduled the reform as the sole topic for discussion.

Deputy Amancay González Franco (MC) criticized the draft, noting that it fails to ban tobacco heating devices, which the World Health Organization (WHO) deems even more harmful than vapes. “Today, the justification is that the aerosol produced by vapes contains fewer chemicals than the smoke from tobacco heaters,” she said.

The reform prohibits vapes and regulates electronic nicotine devices but leaves out tobacco heaters—a category dominated in Mexico by Philip Morris and its IQOS brand. “It is clear that for Mexicans’ health, neither is acceptable, but this regulation makes it evident that this is not public health—it is a tailor-made law to benefit Philip Morris,” González Franco stated.

She also warned that under the current wording, young people who purchase vapes could face one to eight years in prison, whereas possession of small doses of cocaine or methamphetamine does not carry imprisonment. “It will be more dangerous to buy a vape than to traffic drugs,” she emphasized.

While González Franco expressed support for banning vape sales and advertising due to proven health risks, she rejected criminal penalties against young users, announcing her intention to propose a modification to remove that clause.

She also revealed that the reform would eliminate 8% of the Health and Welfare Fund, previously allocated to treat catastrophic diseases, which she said would leave cancer patients unprotected.

Image source: La Jornada.