Strict new rules have been enforced in a favourite winter holiday hot spot that could see any tourist who vapes or brings an electronic cigarette product into the country slapped with a hefty fine or even put behind bars
A popular winter holiday hot spot has enforced strict new vaping rules (Image: Getty Images)
Thanks to its sunny, comfortable, and dry weather from November through to April, Mexico has been a top destination for those seeking winter warmth for many years.
However, British tourists jetting off to the North American country and its popular holiday spots need to be aware of severe punishments if they break harsh new rules on vaping.
Not only is it now illegal to vape in a public space, where on-the-spot fines can be enforced, but a new ban on importing electronic cigarettes means holidaymakers who enter the country by land or sea with their device on their person could face time in jail.
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Mexico already had strict laws on smoking and vaping in public since 2023, with immediate fines of up to 3,000 Mexican pesos (about £150) enforceable for anyone caught violating the rules. It includes a ban on puffing in beaches, parks, and public transport, as well as enclosed spaces. But on January 16 President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo published a constitutional reform which banned the importation, sale and distribution of vaping products. The law came into force the following day.
The amendment stated: “The law will penalize all activities related to electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, and other analogous electronic systems or devices specified by law, as well as the production, distribution, and sale of toxic substances, chemical precursors, the illicit use of fentanyl, and other unauthorized synthetic drugs.”
Tourists may think they are exempt from the rules, but they are not, and customs officials in popular destinations like Cancún, Cabo San Lucas, and Cozumel are said to be rigorously enforcing the ban.
Reports vary on what the punishments could be, but the British government strongly advises against taking any devices into the country or using them whilst there. “It is illegal to bring e-cigarettes, vaping devices and solutions into Mexico or to buy and sell them,” it states. “Customs officials will confiscate these items, and they could fine or detain you,” it adds.
As well as affecting flights into Mexico, the ban includes travellers on cruise ships stopping off anywhere on shore. “Disposables, refillable models, pods, and even non-nicotine devices,” are also included in the vape ban,” Cruise Hive reports.
It says that if holidaymakers are caught, they could see their devices confiscated, face huge fines “of up to $12,500, and/or detainment”. The publication adds that the crime is punishable by up to eight years in prison.
One traveller who claimed to have been detained by authorities for being in possession of a vape in the country just after the law was introduced said they were given the choice of prison or a whopping fine. “I came through the airport 1/18 and had a vape. I was detained and given the option of jail or 4K USD fine,” they wrote on Reddit.
Other countries that have imposed laws and bans on vaping include India, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Qatar and Vietnam.
As of last year, it was estimated up to 5.6million Brits were vapers, which equated to around 11% of the population.
For the first time, the number of people who smoke traditional tobacco products in the UK has been outnumbered by vapers.