SAN DIEGO (Border Report) -- For the last three weeks of 2024, Tijuana registered poor air quality, something that is carrying into the new year, according to the secretary of the environment in Baja California. The agency reported that on New Year's Day, in the morning, the levels of contamination "were extremely high" due in part to the large amount of fireworks set off the prior night. City officials are now asking residents to avoid using their cars, to report outdoor fires immediately and not to detonate any more fireworks. People with breathing issues, pregnant women, children under age 12, and those 60 and older are being asked to remain indoors until the levels of pollution drop. Health warning issued in Tijuana over poor air quality Three weeks ago, after several large fires and wind conditions that kept the air from clearing out, the city also asked people to stay inside, close doors and windows, and to refrain from outdoor exercise from the hours of 5 and 10 a.m. Twenty years ago, the federal government launched a program to limit smog in the region, but critics say the ideas never resonated with people and the problem has only gotten worse as the city has grown. "It was just on paper, it was never implemented by politicians," said Alberto Mexia Sánchez, director of the Foundation for Air Quality. According to Mexia Sánchez, 60% of the pollution in the air comes from car emissions. He says there are also still people who burn their trash and companies that continue to release polluted air into the atmosphere without any consequences, and that not enough is being done to promote the use of electric vehicles.