Some civic organizations say new regulations published last week that detail how Jalisco’s anti-tabacco laws are to be enforced aren’t restrictive enough.
Representatives of Comunicacion, Dialogo y Conciencia (Codice) would like to see smoking banned in all closed spaces, apart from the home, as laws now dictate in states such as Tabasco, Estado de Mexico and Veracruz.
Jalisco’s laws allow restaurants and cafes to have designated, enclosed “smoking areas” within their premises.
Codice would like to see these areas made illegal, as well as a general workplace ban enforced.
Up until now, state smoke-free laws have been feebly enforced due to the absence of a workable set of regulations (reglamentos).
The new guidelines, announced June 26, impose fines ranging from the equivalent of 10 to 100 minimum salaries (approximately 650 to 6,500 pesos) for individuals sanctioned for smoking in an prohibited space.
All public buildings, as well as stores and shopping malls in Jalisco are considered no-smoking areas under laws published in the Diario Oficial del Estado de Jalisco in November 2012.
Restaurants, cafes and bars that do not have enclosed areas for smoking and tolerate their customers or staff lighting up could face fines as high as 2,000 minimum salaries (130,000 pesos).
The Jalisco Health Secretariat, which will be responsible for monitoring and applying the law, said establishments will have a six-month grace period to install designated smoking areas before the is law is applied. Fines will kick in as of January 1, 2014.
However, Codice says a lack of inspectors means smoke-free laws are unlikely to be seriously enforced. The organization says it will file for an amparo (restraining order) to prevent the new regulations taking effect, so that legislators can rework a tougher set of guidelines.