Brazil at COP10: Protecting Tobacco Industry and Regulating E-Cigarettes

In recent days, according to a report by JC, Carlos Fávaro, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, revealed that he will advocate for the protection of the tobacco industry and support the regulation of legalized heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes at the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which will be held in Panama in November.

During the meeting, lawmaker Marcus Vinícius and others presented a report on the importance of the tobacco industry to help the federal government understand the issue. He revealed that Minister Favaro expressed that he would actively defend the tobacco industry, emphasizing that the Brazilian government should protect it in its entirety. He also indicated that the health department should, at the very least, refrain from taking a stance against it during the meeting. The report also suggested that the government should enhance research efforts to find economically viable alternative crops for tobacco-producing families.

Vinicius believes that Brazil should allow new technologies to help consumers reduce the harm caused by tobacco, such as heated tobacco and e-cigarettes. However, the ban imposed by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) on the production and sale of these products has resulted in rampant illegal trading.

Brazil is the world's second-largest tobacco producer and the top exporter, with 95% of its production being shipped abroad. Despite a global decline in tobacco consumption, the government continues to enforce protective measures for the industry. Vinicius stated that they are not against alternatives to tobacco, but the government should not ban cultivation or industrialization. Instead, the government should support and promote research, encouraging the identification and development of alternative crops that are suitable for the production regions.