Mexico

The current federal government has limited the participation of the tobacco industry; even in the meetings of the National Commission Against Addictions, participants are required to have no ties to or representation of the industry. In 2019, the Ministry of Health decided to withdraw its participation in a campaign involving BAT. However, initiatives for lax regulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been put forward in the federal Congress. The government prevents industry participation in the Conference of the Parties (COP) delegation.

The collaboration of the Nayarit State Government with the two main tobacco companies in Mexico (PMI and BAT) continues to be a matter of concern. These CSR activities include support for farmers and their families.

There is no publicly available record of the government postponing the implementation of policies required to regulate the tobacco industry. The government continues to give duty free status for two cartons of cigarettes, 50 cigars or a kilo of tobacco for international travelers. There should be greater transparency on the information provided by the Tax Administration Service to identify any benefits given to the tobacco industry.

The President of the Health Committee in the Senate of the Republic participates in events organized by BAT. Mexico’s cigarette tracking system is linked to the tobacco industry (Codentify). PMI participates with the federal government in the “Youth Building the Future” program (Programa “Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro”).

Federal regulation does not require disclosure of meetings with the tobacco industry. In the Congress of the Union, the registration of lobbyists is mandatory, where companies and organizations must express their interests and who they represent.

The federal government does not prohibit campaign contributions from the tobacco industry. Retired officials are lobbyists for the tobacco industry and are allied with former officials who work for the soft drinks industry. The General Secretary of the President’s political party, whose daughter worked in the tobacco industry, has voted in favor of the industry.

The Ministry of Health has assumed a leading role in spearheading preventive measures in the federal government. With the Ministry of Economy, it has internal guidelines related to Article 5.3 of the FCTC. The federal government in 2019 approved a regulation that prohibits employees from receiving any contributions. However, this does not cover offers of assistance, policy drafts or study visit invitations from the tobacco industry.