Talk to any cruisers who smoke, and so they’ll complain about the truth that they’re — of their eyes — handled like second-class residents whereas on ships.
Now comes phrase that some smoking cruisers shall be going through a brand new ban: Mexico has enacted a brand new regulation that bans the smoking of tobacco merchandise in public locations. The ban formally went into impact final week, and now the cruise strains are warning passengers about potential jail time if caught violating the brand new regulation.
Smoking Ban in Mexico
A launch from the Government of Mexico, head of the National Commission towards Addictions Gady Zabicky Sirot mentioned (translated from Spanish), “Mexico becomes one of the countries at the forefront in protecting the health of children and adolescents.”
The two foremost provisions within the new regulation are the entire ban of all types of promoting and promotion of tobacco merchandise, together with their show at factors of sale, plus the extension of safety towards smoke and emissions from any tobacco and nicotine product.
Also, beginning the month, areas carved out completely for smoking ought to solely be positioned in outside areas.
Because Mexican ports are in style on numerous cruise itineraries, some cruise strains have already begun informing their passengers that they can’t smoke in public areas throughout their time within the nation. This can embody areas comparable to parks, on public seashores, and in cruise pier areas.
In a letter to visitors at the moment crusing on itineraries that may cease in Mexico, Royal Caribbean knowledgeable visitors of potential penalties in the event that they break the rule. “Keep this in mind,” the letter mentioned, “as failure to comply may result in steep fines and/or being detained up to 36 hours.”
Another cruise model, Carnival Cruise Line, informed Cruise Radio that it’s placing signage up in gangways so visitors will see it as they debark the ship in Mexican ports.
Penalties for violating the general public smoking ban could possibly be fines of as much as $550 USD. An older regulation from 2008 may embody jail time of as much as 36 hours.
Private properties, together with seashore resorts, are usually not public areas and may make their very own guidelines regarding smoking.
This consists of Cozumel, Progresso, and Costa Maya on the Caribbean facet, together with Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerta Vallarta, and Mazatlan on the Pacific Ocean.