Brazil’s national drug agency, Anvisa, has opened a consultation on e-cigarettes, reports Portal Rondonia. The agency is seeking technical and scientific information to help it craft regulations for the product category.
The import, sale and advertising of e-cigarettes is banned in Brazil, but the products are said to be widely available anyway.
Brazil’s Pulmonology Society has already expressed its opposition to e-cigarettes, claiming they are a threat to public health.
Pulmonologist Paulo Corrêa, coordinator of the institution’s smoking commission, explained there is a false belief among users that the smoke is not harmful, as it is only water vapor. He also warned that electronic cigarettes have a great appeal among young people, raising the number of new smokers in Brazil.
On April 11, Brazil’s research foundation Fiocruz, which runs a center for studies on tobacco and health, launched a campaign on the risks of the use and release of electronic smoking devices in Brazil. Besides informative material on social media, the campaign includes an online petition encouraging people to oppose the legalization of e-cigarettes in Brazil.
Stakeholders can submit information to Anvisa until May 11.