Brazil renews ban on e-cigarettes

In Brazil, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has decided to maintain the ban on the importation, advertising and sale of electronic cigarettes, in force in the country since 2009. To combat the illicit trade in these products, Anvisa has called for increased inspections and information campaigns for the general public.

The decision to continue the ban on electronic cigarettes in Brazil was voted unanimously by the collegiate board of Anvisa. For Christine Jourdan, director of the Agency, scientific studies show that electronic cigarettes can result in an increased risk of starting smoking for young people. Furthermore, Christine Jourdan points out that electronic cigarettes are not a harmless tool for health, with the potential to develop nicotine addiction, as well as cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurological health risks associated with them. Similarly, the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB) welcomed Anvisa's decision to ban electronic cigarettes. According to the AMB, scientific studies conducted on the subject to date also show that electronic cigarettes cannot be considered a weaning tool.[1].

Combating the illicit trade of e-cigarettes in Brazil

Despite the ban in force since 2009 in Brazil, a survey conducted by Vital Strategies highlighted that nearly one in five young adults had already used an electronic cigarette at least once (19.7%). In order to reduce the illicit trade in these products, Anvisa is calling on the public authorities to strengthen control efforts to reduce access to them. For its part, British American Tobacco (BAT) has indicated that it regrets this decision, pointing out the exclusively illicit origin of electronic cigarettes in Brazil.

In France, the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes is contested

In France, the High Council for Public Health has made a similar diagnosis on the issue of electronic cigarettes. In its November 2021 report, the HCSP emphasizes that "evidence-based knowledge is insufficient to propose [electronic cigarettes] as smoking cessation aids in the care of smokers by healthcare professionals", urging healthcare professionals to favor scientifically proven treatments in supporting former smokers. Furthermore, the HCSP warns of the risk that electronic cigarettes represent in terms of smoking initiation, particularly for the youngest: "the relationship between initiation to electronic cigarettes and initiation to tobacco is documented by cohort studies. The objective of delaying the initiation and use of [electronic cigarettes] among adolescents who do not consume tobacco is therefore part of the precautionary principle."[2].

FT

[1] The Brazilian Report, Brazilian regulators keep e-cigarettes banned, 06/07/2022, (accessed 11/07/2022)

[2] HCSP, Advice on the benefits and risks of electronic cigarettes, 11/26/2021, (accessed 07/12/2022)