This Friday (1st), the collegiate board of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) evaluates whether to place the regulation of electronic cigarettes in Brazil for public consultation.
Since 2009, the entity’s resolution prohibits the manufacture, sale, import and advertising of electronic smoking devices, popularly known as vapes.
With the publication of the meeting’s agenda, last Wednesday (22), Anvisa reported having received several requests for oral statements and access to the agency’s facilities by representatives of the regulated sector, civil entities and the population in general to monitor the deliberation.
Public demonstrations are also planned in front of Anvisa’s headquarters, in Brasília, by entities interested in the matter. “The collegiate board decided that the aforementioned public meeting will be conducted without the presence of representatives from the regulated sector, civil entities and the population in general, with the aim of safeguarding the normality of its holding.”
The debate will be broadcast through Anvisa’s official YouTube channel. Interested parties can send oral statements to the directors for information according to available instructions. The material will be published on the agency’s website and reproduced during the meeting.
Report
Last year, Anvisa’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a technical report that indicated the need to maintain the ban on electronic smoking devices and the adoption of additional measures to curb irregular trade in this type of product, such as the increase in inspection actions and carrying out educational campaigns.
The document configures a type of diagnosis and study stage, with information and data on the likely effects of a regulation, serving to verify impact, propose scenarios for action and support decision-making. The report, therefore, consolidates all the evidence collected by Anvisa’s technical team.
Understand
Electronic smoking devices are also known as electronic cigarettes, vape, pod, e-cigarette, e-ciggy, e-pipe, e-cigs e heat not burn (heated tobacco). Although commercialization in Brazil is prohibited, the devices can be found in several commercial establishments and consumption, especially among young people, has increased.
Since 2003, when they were created, the equipment has undergone several changes: disposable or single-use products; refillable products with liquid refills (which mostly contain propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine and flavors), in an open or closed system; heated tobacco products, which have an electronic device where a refill with tobacco is attached; system podswhich contains nicotine salts and other substances diluted in liquid and resembles pen drivesamong others.
“The commercialization, import and advertising of all types of electronic smoking devices are prohibited in Brazil, through Anvisa Collegiate Board Resolution No. 46, of August 28, 2009. This decision was based on the precautionary principle, due the lack of scientific data that would prove the claims attributed to these products.”
Health hazard
With a pleasant aroma and flavor, electronic cigarettes arrived on the market with the promise of being less aggressive than regular cigarettes. However, the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) warns that the absolute majority of vapes contain nicotine – a psychoactive drug responsible for dependence and which, when inhaled, reaches the brain between seven and 19 seconds, releasing chemical substances that bring an immediate sensation of pleasure.
According to the entity, in electronic cigarettes, nicotine comes in liquid form, with strong additive power, alongside solvents (propylene glycol or glycerol), water, flavorings (around 16 thousand types), flavorings and substances intended to produce a smoother vapor, to facilitate inhaling and absorption by the respiratory tract. “Hundreds of substances have been identified in aerosols, many of which are toxic and carcinogenic.”
“The electronic cigarette in the form of pen drive and with USB it delivers nicotine in the form of ‘nicotine salt’, something that resembles the natural structure of nicotine found in tobacco leaves, facilitating its inhalation for longer periods, without causing discomfort to the user”, highlighted the AMB.
“Each pod of the electronic cigarette in pen drive format contain 0.7 milliliters (ml) of e-liquid with nicotine, allowing 200 puffs, similar, therefore, to the number of puffs of a smoker of 20 conventional cigarettes. In other words, it can be said that vaping a flash drive is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes (a pack).”
Also according to the entity, the use of electronic cigarettes was associated as an independent factor for asthma, increases arterial stiffness in healthy volunteers, being a risk for acute myocardial infarction, in the same way as traditional cigarettes. In laboratory studies, electronic cigarettes were shown to be carcinogenic to the lungs and bladder.
Outbreak of lung disease
Between August 2019 and February 2020, an outbreak of lung disease was recorded in e-cigarette users. In the United States alone, almost 3,000 cases and 68 confirmed deaths were reported.
National Congress
In addition to the debate within the scope of Anvisa, Bill (PL) 5008/2023, authored by Senator Soraya Thronicke, is being processed in the Federal Senate, which allows the production, import, export and consumption of electronic cigarettes in Brazil.
Young people
According to the National School Health Survey (PeNSE), carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2019, 22.6% of students aged 13 to 17 in the country said they had tried cigarettes at least once in life, while 26.9% have tried hookah and 16.8% have tried electronic cigarettes.
The study interviewed adolescents aged 13 to 17 who attended the 7th year of elementary school through the 3rd year of high school in public and private schools.
Tobacco control
Brazil is internationally recognized for its tobacco control policy. In July 2019, it became the second country to fully implement all measures envisaged by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the aim of reducing tobacco consumption and protecting people from chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
