A Bill to regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes is being processed in the Federal Senate. The text foresees fines of up to R$10 million for anyone selling the product, banned since 2009 by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), to children under 18 years of age.
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of electronic device smokers in the country increased from 500 thousand to 2 million.
For Fred Monteiro, regional director of British American Tobacco (BAT), “when they are of good quality, adopted by local regulations and supervised by health agents”, these products help smokers to abandon traditional cigarettes, in a policy known as “reduction of damage.”
“Electronic cigarettes are much less harmful to your health than a traditional cigarette. They are less harmful and therefore play an important role in reducing smoking,” she says.
The executive states that, in Europe, regulations restrict consumption to minors and establish a limit on the amount of nicotine in electronic cigarettes.
The Ministry of Health is in favor of the ban imposed by Anvisa. However, the resolution that vetoed the sale of the devices in the country is in the process of regulatory review. By the end of this year, a public consultation on electronic cigarettes should be held.
Source: CNN Brasil
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