When a drug cartel came calling at a store selling vapes in northern Mexico, the owners knew they were powerless.Recommended Video The cartel abducted two employees, blindfolded them and demanded to speak with their bosses. The cartel said it was seizing the store, which would only be allowed to sell online outside the state. They dont come asking whether you want to (give them your business) or not, they come telling you whats about to happen, one of the owners, now 27 and living in the United States, said on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal. That was in early 2022, when vapes were still legal in Mexico, a market worth 1.5 billion. But earlier this month, the country banned the sale although not the use of electronic cigarettes. Experts believe organized crime will now consolidate its control over the sale of the devices. By banning it, youre handing the market to non-state groups in a country with high levels of corruption and violence tied to the cartels, said Zara Snapp, director of the Mexico-based Ría Institute, which studies drug policy in Latin America. The ban also potentially strengthens the cartels by giving them another revenue stream that is not a high priority for the United States government, because vapes are still legal there, said Alejandro Rosario, a lawyer representing many vape shops. Push to ban Vaping is legal and regulated in the U.S. and Europe, but its now banned in at least eight Latin American countries. Some countries, like Jap
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