Key Points:
·Amazing data: a survey covering 16,000 individuals aged 14 and above (2022-2024); youth e-cigarette usage rate at 11.1%.
·Regulatory challenges: e-cigarettes are banned in Brazil but easily available online; containing higher concentrations of nicotine and other toxic substances.
·Policy setbacks: the progress made in tobacco control in the 1990s is now being undermined by e-cigarettes; "hidden" surge in tobacco consumption among adolescents.
·Research background: the first national survey including e-cigarette data (Lenad 3).
According to a report by the Brazilian news agency agenciabrasil on June 19th, a survey conducted by the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) found that 11.1% of Brazilian teenagers use e-cigarettes. The study surveyed approximately 16,000 individuals aged 14 and older from across the country.
Research shows that the number of young people using e-cigarettes is five times higher than the number of young people smoking traditional cigarettes. These data were collected from the third National Alcohol and Drug Survey (Lenad 3) conducted between 2022 and 2024. This is the first time this survey has included information on e-cigarette use.
Although the product is banned in Brazil, Clarice Madruga, research coordinator and professor of psychiatry at the Brazilian University of Medical Sciences and Health, points out that purchasing the device online is very easy, increasing accessibility.
Researchers point out that another issue is the health risks, as e-cigarettes contain much higher levels of poisonous substances (such as nicotine) compared to traditional cigarettes. Madruga also expressed concern over the increase in cigarette consumption following the success of the smoking ban policies implemented in the 1990s, which had previously effectively suppressed consumption.She said：
"The policy we implemented once led to a significant decrease in smoking rates and achieved great success. However, new challenges have completely hindered this progress. Today, we are seeing a dramatic increase in tobacco consumption, especially among younger age groups, which remains largely unnoticed."
The research participants were referred to receive treatment at the Saint Paul Hospital and the Unifesp Comprehensive Mental Health Care Center.
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