Mexico City’s Mayor Seeks to Enforce Health Regulations on E-cigarettes and Vape Pens
Mexico City’s Mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, has submitted an initiative to reform the General Health Law to the Chamber of Deputies. The proposed changes aim to regulate the prohibition of e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other analogous systems or devices. This move also seeks to modify various healthcare provisions for the population.
Compliance with Constitutional Reform
According to Sheinbaum, these amendments will ensure compliance with the 2024 constitutional reform that prohibits the sale and use of vape pens, cigarettes, and other narcotics. The proposed penalties for producing, distributing, and selling e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other electronic devices include imprisonment of one to eight years and fines equivalent to 100 to 2,000 times the daily value of the Unit of Measure and Update.
Strengthening Cofepris
Apart from the vape pen prohibition, the reform includes changes to the General Health Law for planning the creation, substitution, and expansion of healthcare infrastructure. This includes standardizing centralized procurement of high-tech medical equipment, medications, and other supplies under the guidance of the Health Secretariat as the leading authority in health policy.
Moreover, Sheinbaum’s initiative aims to enhance the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris) powers, enabling quicker and more efficient regulatory enforcement. This will create a legal framework allowing private sector entities to adhere effectively to regulations.
Additionally, the incorporation of hemoderivatives regulation is proposed to facilitate domestic production oversight, thus fostering research advancements in the healthcare sector.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main focus of Claudia Sheinbaum’s initiative? The primary objective is to regulate and enforce the prohibition of e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other analogous devices through the General Health Law reform.
- What penalties are proposed for violating the e-cigarette and vape pen prohibition? The proposed penalties include imprisonment for one to eight years and fines equivalent to 100 to 2,000 times the daily value of the Unit of Measure and Update.
- What other changes does Sheinbaum’s initiative propose? The reform includes strengthening Cofepris, standardizing centralized procurement of medical equipment and medications, and incorporating hemoderivatives regulation to promote healthcare research.
