They are far away in times when Goethe he could say that tobacco was one of life’s great pleasures, or jokes could be made about tolerance for non-smokers. Cigarettes are no longer jokes. In many parts of the world, but in some more than others. That of Mexico it is a campaign that will never look like smoke and mirrors. Cigarettes are banned, even outdoors. Everywhere. As long as it’s a public space. There is no ban on smoking in a restaurant, office, subway. Not only that: it’s banned everywhere. In parks, on the beach, at the lake. In fact smoking is forbidden. One of the toughest anti-tobacco laws in the world has come into force. But that’s not all: cigarettes are in fact demonized. There will be a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, cigarettes will not even be displayed in shops. Vaporizers and e-cigarettes are also subject to new, tougher restrictions.
New Zealand precedent
In December, New Zealand approved a very strict law: a law that prohibits the sale of cigarettes not only to the youngest but also to future generations. Legislation introduced by Parliament in Wellington prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone born from 1 January 2009 onwards: that is, a ban on smoking for all those aged fourteen and under today, including those yet to be born.
Buthan is the strictest in the world
Il Buthan, a small state – with only 650,000 inhabitants – located in the Himalayan range, between India and Tibet, is instead the strictest in the world. There, in fact, since June 2010 the Tobacco Control Act, a law that prohibits the cultivation, production and sale of tobacco and tobacco products throughout the country. It is the only state in the world to have totally banned smoking.