According to a report on December 15th by Brazilian newspaper, O Globo, Philip Morris Brasil is putting pressure on Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to regulate e-cigarettes in the country.
Last Tuesday (December 12th), Anvisa conducted a public consultation on the issue of e-cigarettes. Philip Morris Brazil quickly launched a voting campaign, advocating for the regulation of electronic products. The campaign was called "I Choose," and it opposed a legislative ban on e-cigarettes, listing reasons supporting the regulation of e-cigarettes.
Philip Morris of Brazil claims that for any smoker, the best choice is to quit smoking. However, if quitting is not possible, they should opt for smokeless products such as e-cigarettes, as these products entail lesser "potential harm" to health.
Rafael Bastos, the Senior Corporate Affairs Manager of Philip Morris Brazil, stated that "smoking e-cigarettes poses significantly less harm to one's health compared to traditional tobacco combustion, which is considered the worst way to consume nicotine.
In addition, he pointed out that currently Anvisa does not know what substances are contained in e-cigarettes, which is also due to the lack of transparency in the illicit market. This issue can be resolved by implementing compliance management for e-cigarettes.
A survey conducted by the investigation agency Ipec reveals that despite a ban on the use of electronic devices since 2009, approximately 2.2 million Brazilians are e-cigarette users.
Philip Morris believes that Brazilian consumers have already made their decision to use their product, regardless of its legality. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate in order to ensure the best possible manner of consumption.
These products are increasingly entering the country, and the reasons for their entry are very clear – because of demand. Today, the smuggling of e-cigarettes is providing funding for criminal gangs," said Bastos.
The public consultation by Anvisa on the subject will continue until February 9, 2024.
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