Dozens of experts debated how to improve the rules regarding electronic cigarettes, whose consumption is a global reality, at the eighth edition of The E-Cigarette Summit in Washington, DC. Scientists, regulators, consumers, and public health representatives presented studies and strategies to adopt these products as harm reduction tools for nicotine consumption among adult smokers.
In the U.S., marketing approval is the responsibility of the FDA, an agency similar to Anvisa in Brazil, which certifies that products are “appropriate for the protection of public health.”
According to Brian King, director of the FDA, companies undergo rigorous authorization so that adult smokers can access lower-risk products. At the same time, the agency conducts campaigns to prevent consumption by youth and improve authorized products.
For Clive Bates, a public health consultant, maintaining illegality will not make it disappear. “We need strong regulations and an industry concerned with manufacturing safer products. Many people die because others do not see vapes as a harm reduction tool,” he says.Anvisa maintains prohibition
Unlike the rest of the world, Anvisa maintains a prohibition in Brazil. However, the Senate is currently discussing a bill to change the rules. The bill includes requirements such as toxicological reports, nicotine limits, flavors, and points of sale, and also proposes prison sentences and fines for sales to minors. Rules that would protect consumers from the illegal market. Since 2018, the number of consumers has grown by 600%, with 3 million regular consumers (Ipec, 2023).