Mexico Deputy proposes ban on white gunpowder

Mexican Deputy Laura Ballesteros Mancilla of the Movimiento Ciudadano party has announced a legislative initiative to ban the use of white gunpowder in pyrotechnic production. The proposal seeks a gradual transition toward 'cold pyrotechnics'—which produce visual sparks without extreme heat or toxic smoke—as well as the use of drones and light shows for festivals and parades.

Ballesteros cited significant health and safety risks, noting that white gunpowder is highly explosive, corrosive, and flammable, and can contribute to cancer through inhalation. The initiative aims to manage the transition carefully to avoid economic disruption for families and communities dependent on the pyrotechnics industry.

Under the proposal, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) would coordinate with state and municipal governments to determine permissible products, while the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) would establish a definitive list of prohibited elements. The move follows data from the National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred), which recorded 649 accidents, 2,065 injuries, and approximately 500 deaths related to pyrotechnics since 2003, including a recent incident in Tultitlán that resulted in 10 fatalities.