Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's requested to evaluate the possibility of banning the sale of e-cigarettes has raised concerns among sellers, who are supportive of regulating the market but is defensive about the proposal, reported the Spanish news, Agencia EFE.
Recently, Venezuela developed a regulatory program for the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, sale, use and promotion of electronic cigarettes.
President Maduro said on a television program:
"I want to tell our medical and scientific teams to look into the possibility of banning the sale of these devices that are harmful to health and cause serious problems."
It added that the regulations are a first step and that there is still a long way to go. He asked Health Minister Magaly Gutiérrez to work on this request.
Presidet Maduro's statement has sent shockwaves through different sectors in the country, with Lérida Padrón, president of the Venezuelan Society of Respiratory and Thoracic Surgery (Sovetorax), expressing their firm support for these regulatory measures put in place by the government.
Padrón noted:
"People think that nicotine-free e-cigarettes don't harm their health, which is completely wrong."
However, businesses selling e-cigarettes say they have been living with "uncertainty".
Miguel Brown, manager of an e-cigarette store, argues that e-cigarettes are addictive devices, but are "less harmful" than cigarettes, and that many people use them as a "substitute" for cigarettes or because of the popularity of the product.
He said:
"The audience for e-cigarettes has grown over time. It's not just because people want to replace cigarettes with e-cigarettes, but because it's a fad."
He explained that the industry agreed to ban sales to minors and pregnant women, a measure that many stores implement to avoid legal problems. However, he argued that a complete ban on sales would only hurt business and reduce employment opportunities.
Venezuela's Official Gazette No. 42.641 published regulations on the production, sale and use of e-cigarettes, which prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and the use of e-cigarettes in the workplace and in indoor public places, including transportation.
Reference:
【1】Cigarrillos electrónicos en Venezuela, entre la regulación y la prohibición total
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