Government Proposal to Legalize E-cigarette Sales Sparks Medical Concern

According to Tnonline on August 19th, Brazilian Senator Soraya Thronicke proposed a bill to allow for the commercial sale of e-cigarettes. After multiple delays, the bill is now on the agenda for the Senate's Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) on August 20th, sparking concern from 80 medical entities opposed to the proposal.

In a statement led by the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) and the Brazilian Society of Pulmonology and Tuberculosis (SBPT), these organizations strongly reaffirmed their opposition to changes in e-cigarette regulation.

Dr. Ricardo Meirelles, coordinator of the AMB Smoking Control Committee, stated that,...

This proposal is irresponsible towards the Brazilian people, as it aims to open up the sale of a harmful product to public health.

In April of this year, Anvisa unanimously decided to continue to ban the manufacturing, importation, and sale of e-cigarette products in Brazil. However, if the bill is approved in the Senate, it will be directly sent to the House of Representatives for review without requiring Anvisa's approval.

Soraya's proposal argues that the initial ban was based on a principle of public health supervision - the precautionary principle - because at that time there was little understanding of these products. Since then, despite not being approved, the use of e-cigarettes has increased, preventing sales is like "closing one's eyes to reality". In her proposal written in 2023, she emphasizes that.

The ban failed to address the issue, strict sales rules need to be established.

She compared Anvisa's resolution with the approval of the US FDA.

If the proposal is passed, e-cigarettes will be taxed. According to lawmakers in support of the proposal, it is estimated that the tax revenue could reach 22 billion Brazilian Reais (4.06 billion US dollars) annually. However, the medical community argues that this amount is not enough to cover the medical expenses resulting from an increase in respiratory diseases. In 2022 alone, Brazil has already spent 153.5 billion Reais (283.8 billion US dollars) on healthcare costs and lost productivity caused by tobacco use.

Paulo César Rodrigues Pinto Correa, coordinator of the SBPT Research Committee, highlighted the political manipulation surrounding the issue of e-cigarettes and emphasized the need for increased regulation and measures to combat illegal sales. Otherwise, the increase in illegal sales will continue to be used as an excuse to support attempts to lift the ban.