The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has a majority of directors’ votes to maintain the ban on the marketing, manufacturing, storage, transportation and advertising of electronic cigarettes in Brazil. Voting began this Friday (19).
It is important to highlight that the discussion in Congress about illicit drugs is different from the debate at Anvisa, which does not criminalize the use of electronic cigarettes in Brazil. What is at stake is the creation of standards for marketing the product in the country in general.
This result occurred during a meeting of Anvisa’s Collegiate Board of Directors (Dicol), with three votes, so far, against the regulation of so-called “vapes”.
The general opinion of the directors who voted in favor of the ban considered that health policies should discourage and even ban the use of electronic cigarettes.
They also believe in the absence of scientific data regarding a possible “harm reduction” with the use of vapes compared to combustion cigarettes, because there is data on an increase in the number of teenagers and young adults using electronic cigarettes.
During the virtual meeting, Dicol accepted director Danitza Buvinich’s suggestion, which allows the import of vapes only by accredited research institutes, so that they can carry out new studies on the product.
Before voting, Anvisa’s CEO, Antonio Barra Torres, read texts with different opinions on the topic, both against and in favor of banning electronic cigarettes.
Among the positions for maintaining the veto, highlights are that of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) and a letter signed by several former Ministers of Health, such as José Serra (PSDB), Humberto Costa (PT) and Luís Henrique Mandetta (União Brazil).
Doctors argue that electronic cigarettes cause addiction, amplify harm, increase dependence and cannot be considered as alternative harm reduction treatments for users of conventional cigarettes.
State Health Secretariats and some federal government ministries also spoke out in favor of maintaining Anvisa’s current position on vapes, with emphasis on the Health and Justice departments.
On the other hand, the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel) sent a message calling for an end to the ban on electronic cigarettes. They defend product quality control by Anvisa, considering that vapes are already sold and easily found in Brazil.
Abrasel also claims that regulating this trade allows for an increase in tax collection.
Barra Torres also brought the opinion of former Anvisa director Alex Machado Campos, who speaks of a social problem in which “there is no effective measure” to find a solution, both in terms of prohibition and in terms of raising health awareness.
Since 2009, these devices cannot be sold in the country. Despite this, they are easily found in popular stores or online and consumption, especially among young people, is only increasing, with serious consequences for health.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, around 2% of adults have used smoking devices in Brazil and this has not changed in recent years, but the proportion of young people who have tried electronic devices draws our attention. Between 16 and 17 years old, 23% of young people have already tried vapes.
Public hearing
Before the vote, Anvisa held a virtual public hearing, which broadcast videos with demonstrations by people in favor and against the vape ban, which also included users of the product.
During the Anvisa hearing, the director of the Department of Epidemiological Analysis and Surveillance of Noncommunicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, Letícia Cardoso, argued that the ministry is in favor of maintaining the ban on electronic cigarettes.
“What the mortality data has shown is that, in the last 12 years, there has been a 24% increase in deaths due to EVALI (acronym in English: lung injury associated with electronic cigarette use) in the Brazilian population. Both electronic cigarettes and conventional tobacco cigarettes present a health risk and should not be consumed by the population. To date, there is no scientific evidence that electronic cigarettes protect or replace the damage caused by regular cigarettes,” he commented.
The main arguments presented in favor of regulation were:
– electronic cigarettes help to quit smoking;
– regulating will protect the population from the toxic effects of clandestine products and uncontrolled inputs;
– prevent smuggling;
– increase in tax collection.
