Philip Morris International Wins Case to Sell E-Cigarettes Despite Ban in Mexico
According to the Mexican media Mundo Ejecutivo's report on May 31st, the 22nd Administrative Court of Mexico granted tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI) the commercial franchise to sell e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
The issuance of this protective order was carried out by the 22nd Administrative Court in Mexico City, which deemed the ban on the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on 31st of May, 2022, as unconstitutional.
PMI has successfully "defeated" the Mexican government to allow the sale of e-cigarettes. Moreover, this federal judicial protective order is not affected by presidential decrees and cannot be appealed by the federal government.
In response, President López Obrador criticized the judge's ruling on PMI during a morning press conference. He said, "So, what about health?" The president also stated that this decision was influenced by economic interests, "at the expense of the health of the people and the youth."
The executive leadership stated that they would appeal this ruling and emphasized their commitment to working with the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS).
In addition to the ban, several months ago President López Obrador and COFEPRIS released a study revealing the presence of 30 unreported potential harmful substances in vaporizers that could pose risks to human health.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated in front of the media, "Most parents are unaware of the harm this can cause. It is an issue of misinformation, with people mistakenly believing that they are harmless and giving them a certain reputation."
