Mexico Highlights Tobacco-Control Priorities at COP11

Mexico placed its role in global tobacco-control efforts at the center of discussions at the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These meetings gather over 1,400 delegates from governments, international organizations, and civil society to examine the reasons leading to the rising nicotine dependence among young people and the expanding threat of illicit tobacco trade. 

From Geneva, the Mexican delegation reaffirmed its commitment to advancing public health policies and strengthening international cooperation. Ramiro López, Mexico’s Deputy Minister for Health Policy and Population Well-being, stresses that the country views tobacco control as a shared responsibility, particularly as the industry adapts its strategies to attract early-age consumers through electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other emerging products.

López warns that millions of people continue to be persuaded to consume products that cause preventable disease, adding that policy debates cannot stall while the tobacco industry reorganizes and promotes new forms of addiction under the guise of reduced risk. López notes that young people have become a key target of marketing tactics that promise modernity but deliver health harm, while invoking civil liberties to weaken state obligations to protect the population.

Due to its stance on the issue during COP11, the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC) awarded Mexico the Orchid Award. “Mexico made a clear and forceful call for global action, explicitly naming the industry as the biggest obstacle to progress,” GATC writes on X. According to the OECD’s Health at a Glance 2025, daily smoking rates are below the OECD average at 8.5% compared to 14.8%, reports MBN. 

The upcoming MOP4, taking place on Nov 24–26, 2025, will bring together the 71 Parties to address illicit tobacco trade. According to the FCTC, illegal tobacco represents about 11% of the global market and costs governments more than US$47 billion annually in lost tax revenue, resources that could otherwise support health and education services. Delegates will review enforcement experiences, including a high-level segment featuring INTERPOL officials and prosecutors from Gabon and Latvia, who will outline ongoing anti-trafficking actions.

Discussions at both COP11 and MOP4 will center on strengthening oversight across the supply chain, expanding global information-sharing mechanisms and reinforcing cooperation among Parties. For Mexico, the meetings represent an opportunity to frame illicit trade as a public safety concern that fuels corruption and organized crime while undermining tobacco-control efforts. The country aims to advance collective measures aligned with its longstanding goal of promoting tobacco-free generations.