Tuesday, 03 June 2025 09:00 AM
Regulatory
MEXICO CITY, MX / ACCESS Newswire / June 3, 2025 / Research published by Smoke Free Sweden warns that Mexico's ban on vaping is proving counterproductive and continues to fuel the smoking crisis that kills 65,000 people a year.
The new report by international health experts Smoke Free Sweden shows that while Sweden has virtually eliminated smoking through the adoption of harm reduction policies, Mexico's prohibitionist approach has caused smoking rates to rise to dangerous levels.
The report, titled "A Tale of Two Nations: A Comparative Study of How Mexico and Sweden Are Fighting Smoking," presents evidence that progressive strategies built around safer, smoke-free alternatives have better results than prohibitionist policies.
Since 2009, the adult smoking rate in Mexico has increased from 16.5% to 19.5%, while the rate in Sweden has decreased from 54% to 5.3%.
"The evidence is undeniable," said Dr. Delon Human, author of the report and leader of Smoke Free Sweden. "Sweden's adoption of public policies focused on harm reduction has dramatically reduced smoking and directly related diseases, while Mexico's ban on vaping does not benefit its citizens.
"The choice for health policymakers in Mexico is clear: continue down the failed path of prohibition or adopt harm reduction as public policy," he added.
In Mexico, smoking claims 65,000 lives a year and is the cause of 430,000 new cases of smoking-related diseases each year. In contrast, Sweden has achieved the lowest rates of tobacco-related mortality and disease in Europe, including a male lung cancer mortality rate that is 61% lower than the European Union average.
Sweden's success is due to the fact that safer alternatives, such as snus, nicotine pouches, and vapes, are accessible and affordable to adult smokers. Key measures include legal access to these products on the market, proportional taxes that favor less harmful products, and evidence-based policies that recognize the enormous difference in harm between combustible cigarettes and smoke-free alternatives.
Despite growing evidence, Mexico banned vaping products in 2020 and doubled down on that ban two years later, creating a growing black market that eliminates quality controls and does not prevent minors from accessing these products.
Smoke Free Sweden is a movement that encourages other countries to follow the
Swedish model when it comes to reducing tobacco harm.
Contact:
Alejandro Durán
Mobile: 52-55-3446-7248
Tel: 52-55-6381-5106
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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