Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Due to the fact that, up until now, there has been no agreement between the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) and the Puerto Vallarta City Council on how to apply the new Anti-Tobacco regulations, municipal public servants – including Police officers – are prevented from enforcing it.
This was declared by Puerto Vallarta Police Commissioner Rigoberto Flores Parra after receiving citizen complaints of alleged extortion attempts by police officers on the premise of upholding the new restrictions of the General Law for Tobacco Control.
“[There have] already [been complaints] about both Operational and Highway personnel [enforcing the restrictions], though everyone knows it is a new legal discussion. However, it should not be applied, because, well… there are no instructions for the application [of the law] by elements of the road or operational units of the police force,” he said.
He stated that in the coming months the municipal regulations would be harmonized with the federal legislation in this regard, or an agreement will be signed with Cofepris for the application of the new Anti-tobacco Law, but, until then, the police are not empowered to enforce it.
“This is an issue of legal [city] ordinance, which the City Council is obliged to reform and, as far as I understand, it is doing what is relevant in this regard,” he said.
Source: Contra Línea
