The constitutional reform that is advancing in Mexico, which contemplates that the Constitution includes a ban on vaping, is a blank check for organized crime, since it is the main and greatest beneficiary of this restriction, which will not only not end the demand for these products, but could end up consolidating international criminal networks as monopolies due to the lack of control of this industry in the country.
That is why the non-governmental organization Crime Stoppers for the Caribbean, Bermuda and Latin America (CBLACS) reiterated to the Mexican authorities that smuggling – which is already responsible for a part of the vaping business in the country – will only continue to grow in the face of a ban. In addition, this would only strengthen the illegal finances of organized crime, since at a regional level it uses the illicit trade of extremely regulated or restricted products to finance its activities and even to launder capital of illegal origin, often from drug trafficking or human trafficking.
Crime Stoppers International (CSI) is a global, non-governmental organization that works with national authorities, media and all sectors to promote and facilitate citizen participation in national security issues in the countries where it operates. CSI spokesperson in the region, Alejo Campos, warned the following on the issue of the ban on vaping in Mexico:
“It is somewhat contradictory that the same reform equates vaping with fentanyl, and that it is intended to criminalize both despite the fact that fentanyl is already technically illegal; this type of legislative setback facilitates the expansion of illegal markets; as of this reform, vaping can only be purchased on the illegal market, without regulations and under the command of local criminal gangs that are the operational arms of transnational organized crime, who are the ones that facilitate the logistics of fentanyl.”
Regarding this reform that equates vapers with such a lethal substance, Campos commented: “Fentanyl is an illegal, extremely dangerous drug that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in countries like the United States. It is not, under any circumstances, comparable to vapers, which until now could be purchased legally and can even help smokers quit smoking traditional cigarettes. When a product that used to be legally available is banned, organized crime immediately takes over to supply the demand.”
The Crime Stoppers representative explained that this ban is a huge setback in terms of public health and security, so this reform is more comparable to banning products such as beer, milk or certain types of food. Therefore, whoever now seeks these products will have to go buy them at the same place where fentanyl is sold. “We have seen examples in nearby countries, such as Panama, where the consumption of vapers increased during the ban, which was suspended when it was declared unconstitutional,” added Campos.
Another example is Australia, which has followed the path taken by Mexico but with discouraging results. In fact, the more extreme the regulations and bans on vaping in that country were, the number of users of these products tripled. According to figures from the Government itself, use went from 2.4% in those over 14 years of age in 2019, to 7% in 2022, a period in which the ban on these products was maintained.
Finally, Alejo Campos said that illicit trade, and especially the smuggling of electronic or combustion cigarettes, is used for money laundering and generates a parallel economy with which criminal groups can finance other more serious crimes of organized crime, such as arms trafficking, drug trafficking, or human trafficking.
Source: sdpnoticias
