E-cigarette debate reaches Brazil as authorities study regulations

Around the world, the multi-billion dollar tobacco industry has been undergoing a complete overhaul. The arrival of electronic cigarettes has changed the market altogether, forcing major players to rethink their entire strategies and adapt to the new trend. As an apparently less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes, regulatory agencies across the globe are debating the matter and reaching a variety of different conclusions, from blanket legalization to strict prohibition. In Brazil, regulations could be about to change.

Back in 2009, Brazil’s sanitary authority (Anvisa) outlawed the sale, import, and marketing of electronic cigarettes. The agency claimed that there was not enough satisfactory evidence to attest to their safety. Ten years on, Anvisa is set to hold two public hearings in August to re-evaluate its stance on the health impacts associated with these devices.

Electronic cigarettes come under the umbrella of so-called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). These are battery-powered devices which heat a flavored liquid (which may or may not contain nicotine) to be inhaled.

The pros and cons of the e-cigarette

The main argument in favor of e-cigs is the general belief that they are safer to use than conventional cigarettes. While a standard combustible cigarette contains around 7,000 chemicals—many of them extremely...