In Brazil, it is illegal to commercialize, produce, import, or advertise electronic cigarettes due to the serious health risks they pose, which are higher than those of regular cigarettes. This ban has had a significant impact.
Although the legal limit for nicotine content in regular cigarettes is 1 milligram per unit, electronic cigarettes have reached up to 57 milligrams per unit without any regulation. Even if a person takes small puffs, they could end up consuming the equivalent of several packs of cigarettes.
The addictive and carcinogenic ingredients are several times higher, and there is also a greater risk of other diseases (such as chronic lung disease) and increased chances of heart attacks. There is even a new disease caused by this device: EVALI, which stands for electronic cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury.
E-cigarettes work by heating a combination of water and oil-based substances (such as tobacco oil or marijuana) using a battery, and converting it into an aerosol that is then inhaled and exhaled. This also puts other people who breathe in the vapor emitted from the device at risk, much like with traditional cigarette smoke.
More adherence to regular cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular among young people and even children in the digital age due to their technological allure, as well as their tempting flavors and aromas that encourage the use of conventional cigarettes. This has been revealed in a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute (Inca) of the Ministry of Health (MS) based on 31 surveys carried out in multiple countries between 2016 and 2020.
According to Liz Almeida, a coordinator for Inca Prevention and Monitoring and an epidemiologist, electronic cigarettes increase the likelihood that non-smokers will start using traditional cigarettes, which slows down the decline of smokers in Brazil. Liz explains that the risk of using electronic cigarettes is over three times higher for trying traditional cigarettes and over four times higher for using one's own. Doctors state that this product exposes the body to various chemical elements: heating and evaporation release nanoparticles from the metal and heated substances in the device, such as the aforementioned nicotine and other carcinogens, as well as elements that cause lung and cardiovascular diseases.
Despite a ban by the health department on the commercialization, importation, and advertising of tobacco products in Brazil for over a decade (RDC 46, August 28, 2009), these products are easily accessible to the public nationwide through the internet, informal commerce, and even through so-called "tobacco merchants" - though they can only be purchased abroad while traveling.
The Secretary General of the World Health Organization, Ana Cristina Pinho, who is also an anesthetist, has issued a warning stating that smoking - regardless of whether through traditional or electronic means - is a disease. Pinho emphasized that smoking leads to chronic illnesses related to tobacco use, resulting in thousands of deaths each year. These illnesses include various types of lung, liver, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, ovarian, cervical, nasal, sinus, oral, pharynx, esophagus, and acute myeloid leukemia cancers.
The Impact of TikTok
A large portion of young people and children who use electronic cigarettes are being influenced by the most popular social networks among their age group (mostly those under 25 years old), such as TikTok, according to a study conducted by the University of Queensland in Australia. The study indicates that smoking habits are being promoted positively.
A study in Australia analyzed over 78 million TikTok videos, which showed electronic cigarettes being used in a fun and creative way, including with music and dancing. Researchers even suggest that many of these posts may be sponsored by manufacturers and sellers, although this cannot yet be confirmed.
Some videos show how young people can hide their smoking habits and ways to conceal their smoking devices from parents and guardians, including at school and through airport security. As a response, a social network has announced that it will analyze its posts and remove those that encourage addiction.
Despite Brazil's laws that prohibit the use of electronic devices for smoking, the usage of such devices has increased and a majority of the population lacks legal awareness. More and more people in Brazilian cities are openly using electronic cigarettes on the streets.
The only possible method to quit smoking.
It is essential to understand addiction, regardless of its form, as a significant mental health issue. Therefore, treatment must also be focused on mental health, as taught in "The Treatment of Addiction" lectures held every Sunday in universal churches. Many seek help through this type of treatment to overcome their dependence on traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah tobacco, and other addictive substances, while receiving support for themselves and their families.
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