Brazilian regulators keep e-cigarette ban

Brazilian federal health regulator Anvisa on Wednesday voted to keep the country’s ban on e-cigarettes, in force since 2009.

Board members agreed in maintaining the prohibition of the sale, import, and advertising of e-cigs. They also approved the future discussion of new regulations aimed at enforcing the ban and reducing demand.

The meeting was broadcast online and lasted for over four hours. Several experts, activists, and politicians spoke before the vote. Only one person was against the ban — a lawyer for Philip Morris.

Despite the ban, vaping is increasingly popular in Brazil, especially among young people. A recent phone poll showed that 20 percent of Brazilians aged 18-24 smoke e-cigs. Smokers in Brazil make up approximately 12 percent of the overall population.

A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the global tobacco epidemic warns of the dangers of e-cigarettes acting as a “gateway” for young people to take up other forms of nicotine consumption, such as conventional cigarettes.

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