Mexico tightens ban on smoking in public places- PublishedMexico has brought into force one of the world's strictest anti-tobacco laws by enacting a total ban on smoking in public places.Mexico's existing 2008 law - which created smoke-free spaces in bars, restaurants and workplaces - is now extended to an outright ban in all public spaces.The Pan American Health Organisation has welcomed the step and applauded the Mexican government for implementing the ban.The organisation says that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, responsible for nearly a million deaths in the Americas each year, either through direct consumption or exposure to second-hand smoke.With police corruption so rampant in Mexico, many fear that rather than issuing real fines or punishments for smoking in public, some officers will use it as a pretext for taking bribes."