Brazilian Senator Proposes Regulations for E-cigarette Industry

According to a report by Capitalnews on October 17th, Senator Soraya Thronicke from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul has proposed a bill suggesting regulations for the production, import, export, sale, monitoring, inspection, and advertising of e-cigarettes in Brazil. This proposal will undergo review by the federal Senate.

Despite being legally sold in over 80 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, the sale, import, and advertising of e-cigarettes have been prohibited by Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency since 2009.

Although commercial activities are prohibited, the usage of e-cigarettes among smokers in Brazil has been steadily increasing. According to data from a Brazilian strategic research and consulting institution, nearly 500,000 people used e-cigarettes within a span of 30 days in 2018. However, by 2022, this number has skyrocketed to 2.2 million people.

Tronick stated that the packaging of e-cigarettes does not include any warnings about their usage risks. She pointed out:

The widespread use of e-cigarettes remains unregulated. From a hygiene perspective, the products available on the market have not undergone sanitary regulations, and their packaging fails to indicate any usage risks. Furthermore, the e-cigarette industry engages in covert advertising tactics, such as exploiting influencers and social media posts to disseminate their messages.

Meanwhile, the government has prohibited the importation and advertising of such devices. Tritonic believes that the unregulated consumption of e-cigarettes is particularly concerning for teenagers.

According to the National Healthy Schools Survey data in 2019, nearly 17% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 have already been exposed to this type of product. Troneck stated, "By regulating the sales and usage of e-cigarettes, we can not only reduce the accessibility of these products to vulnerable populations such as children and teenagers, but also generate funds through taxation to support tobacco control policies.

She further pointed out that tax evasion and economic loss are a result of the lack of regulations concerning e-cigarettes. "From an economic standpoint, the import and sale of e-cigarettes are conducted outside of the tax system, resulting in significant revenue losses," Trognic added.

Tronic believes that the lack of regulations on e-cigarettes is a mistake.

Brazil has simply banned the sale, import, and advertising of e-cigarettes, as their usage becomes increasingly prevalent. However, consumers are not receiving any protection or guidance. In contrast, other harmful products such as traditional cigarettes and hookahs are legally sold in the market, and these products have even received approval from health agencies through attractive packaging and flavors that appeal to young people," summarized Tronek.

It is worth noting that the country's largest tobacco company has now openly supported a bill proposed by Member of Parliament Soraya Thronicke to regulate the sale and use of e-cigarettes.

This supportive statement has been issued by the Brazilian Tobacco Industry Association (Abifumo), representing the interests of companies such as PMI (Philip Morris), Souza Cruz, and JTI. The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has banned the sale, import, and distribution of e-cigarettes in Brazil.