Tobacco Consumption
- In Mexico, 16.4% of adults (age 15+) are current tobacco smokers (men 25.2%; women 8.2%).1
- Among youth (age 13-15) in Mexico, 14.6% currently smoke cigarettes, with little difference between genders (boys 15.8%; girls 12.9%).2
- In 2015, over 35 billion cigarettes were consumed in Mexico.3
Secondhand Smoke Exposure
- 17% of adults are exposed to secondhand smoke at their workplace, 25.8% are exposed in restaurants, and 25.9% on public transport.1
- In Mexico, 44.6% of youth (age 13–15) are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, while 33.3% of youth are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.2
Health Consequences
- Tobacco kills an estimated 63,200 people each year in Mexico, 9.7% of all deaths in Mexico.3
- This includes 19.5 thousand deaths from heart disease and 17.4 thousand deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 11.2 thousand from lung and other cancers.3
Costs to Society
- The economic cost of smoking is 187.5 billion pesos, equal to 9.3% of annual health care costs. 3
- This includes direct medical costs of 116.2 billion pesos and 71.3 billion pesos in indirect costs.3
Tobacco Industry
The international tobacco companies dominate Mexico's cigarette market, holding more than 99% of the market share by volume. In 2016, two subsidiaries of Philip Morris International held 65% of retail volume market share.4 It was followed by British American Tobacco with 35% and Japan Tobacco with 7.4% of cigarette market share.4 In 2016, over 30.6 billion cigarettes were consumed in Mexico.4
FCTC Status
Mexico ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on May 28, 2004. The treaty went into effect on February 27, 2005.
Tobacco Control Policy Status
For a summary of smoke-free, advertising and promotion, packaging and labeling, and taxation and price measures, download the Mexico Tobacco Control Policy Status fact sheet. For more information visit the Tobacco Control Laws website.
1 Mexico Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2015. (Encuesta Global de Tabaquismo en Adultos México 2015).
2 Mexico Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2011.
3 Palacios A, Reynales-Shigematsu LM, Sáenz de Miera-Juárez B, et al. La importancia de aumentar los impuestos al tabaco en México. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. December 2020. Available at: www.iecs.org.ar/tabaco
4 Euromonitor International, 2016.
5 Arredondo A et al. Economic burden of expected epidemiological changes in dis¬eases related to tobacco. Rev Saúde Publica. 2007; 41(4):523-9.
Last updated May. 2021