Mexico

Project and Country Background

Mexico has a population of 128.6 million people; 16.3 percent of the adult population and 14.6 percent of the youth population smoke cigarettes.1 An estimated 51,575 people die in Mexico each year from diseases caused by smoking.2

TPackSS worked with in-country collaborators to purchase cigarettes in three major cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Mérida. Within each city, packs were collected from a sample of 12 economically and socially diverse neighborhoods. Data collectors purchased one of every unique cigarette pack available from vendors selected in each neighborhood. From July 29 to August 2, 2013, data collectors purchased 134 unique cigarette packs.

The tobacco packaging and labeling requirements in effect at the time of data collection were used to assess each tobacco pack’s compliance with the requirements.  

Suggested Citation for Information on this Page: Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS). Mexico: Project and Country Background. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. http://globaltobaccocontrol.org/tpackss/country/mexico [Insert Last Updated Date].

The tobacco industry is very creative and innovative by changing the pack according to the mood of the market. We need to track this strategy.
Dr. Luz Miriam Reynales Shigematsu
INSP Chief

Browse packs from Mexico

Highlights of Packaging and Labeling Requirements by Data Collection Year

Data collection dates Type of warning Warning label size and layout Number of warnings to be displayed Rotation Rules for misleading descriptors Other warning label requirements considered during coding

Jul. 29 to Aug. 2, 2013

[134 unique packs collected]

Picture and Text
30% of front (picture), 100% of back (text)

8 warnings, 4 pairs

One pair of labels displayed and are intended to be changed every 6 months

Some restrictions

Warning may not be concealed or damaged when pack is opened; warning may not be concealed by tax stamp or other required markings. Front pictorial warning placed on the upper portion of the pack. Warning text: yellow on the front, and yellow on a black background on the back; text size between 9-11 point font on front, back, and side panels.

Oct. to Nov. 2021

[269 unique cigarette packs collected]

Picture and Text 
30% of front, 100% of one side and back

4

All warnings must appear in equal proportions across all packs

Some restrictions

Warning text in yellow with a black background. Pictograms to be printed on the front of packs exactly as shown in administrative rule.

Tobacco packaging and labeling in Mexico is currently regulated under the General Law on Tobacco Control. The Regulations of the General Law on Tobacco Control were passed in 2009 and a new agreement with an updated set of pictorial health warnings was issued in November 2012.3

  1. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, Country profile Mexico. (2017). Retrieved October 25, 2018

    from http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/mex.pdf.

  2. Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017) Results by Location, Cause, and Risk Factor. Retrieved November 29, 2018

    from http://ihmeuw.org/4nol.

  3. Tobacco Control Laws Country Details for Mexico: Packaging and Labeling. (2015). Retrieved April 21, 2016

    from http://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/country/mexico/pl-health-warnings.