Mexico bans outdoors smoking – including on hotel property and at beaches.
While smoking indoors in public places such as restaurants has been confined to the history books in most countries, lighting up outside has remained a freedom smokers can still enjoy.
However, visitors to Mexico who like to light up may have to befriend a local smoker, the country having just passed some of the most draconian tobacco laws in the world.
It is now illegal to smoke in public – both indoors and outside – with the only place you can enjoy tobacco products in private homes or on private property. The new rules became law on January 15 and lighting up in the street may lead to fines of up to £240 (approx. €270): refuse to pay up and you could be spending 36 hours in the local jail.
Barcelona is among other tourist hotspots to ban lighting up on the beach, with Costa Rica introducing a law that prohibits smoking in areas where others could be exposed to second-hand smoke.
