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Despite current legal restrictions in Mexico, nearly three million people continue to vape, operating entirely underground. The civil organization “México y el Mundo Vapeando” (Mexico and the Vaping World) warns that the current prohibitionist policy has created a “perfect storm” that, far from eradicating consumption, has incentivized smoking and strengthened organized crime networks.
Juan José Cirión, president of the organization and a law professor at UNAM, noted that the current climate leaves nothing to celebrate for World Vape Day on May 30th or World No Tobacco Day on May 31st. According to the expert, the resurgence in traditional tobacco use is the most alarming consequence of the government’s strategy.
Figures presented by the organization reveal a setback in harm reduction policies. Before the ban, six out of ten users relied on vapes as an alternative to quit traditional cigarettes. However, the difficulty and risks of acquiring devices in the current market have driven half of those individuals back to conventional smoking.
The ban has also radically transformed the sector's commercial structure. Previously, established businesses imported devices under quality standards and legal protections; today, the sale of these substances and equipment occurs exclusively through informal channels controlled by criminal groups.
“Everything is done in the shadows, where the big winner has been organized crime, which smuggles and sells these products; it was a lucrative gift handed to them by the Mexican government,” Cirión stated. The academic emphasized that the black market is not limited to vaping devices but has also expanded into tobacco smuggling, taking advantage of the legal vacuum created by these restrictive measures.
