Brazil’s Health Minister Opposes E-Cigarette Legalization

Brazil e-cigarette seizures

Brazil’s Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, has firmly positioned himself against the legalization of e-cigarettes and similar vaping devices. Speaking at a World No Tobacco Day campaign launch in Brasília on May 28th, Padilha emphasized his support for maintaining the National Health Surveillance Agency’s (Anvisa) existing ban (RDC 46/2009, reinforced by RDC 855/2024) on the commercialization, importation, and advertising of these products.

Padilha stated he has not been approached by the industry or other government sectors to discuss the matter but asserted, “Brazil has a level of use of these devices that is 5 to 7 times lower than in other countries that have legalized their commercialization. This shows the correctness of Anvisa’s decision.”

Roberto Gil, Director-General of the National Cancer Institute (Inca), supported the ministry’s stance, noting that while there was an increase in overall smoking last year, it was driven by conventional cigarettes. “The challenge today is to protect new generations from electronic cigarettes, the industry’s strategy to create new dependents,” Gil highlighted.

The Ministry of Health also reported a significant increase in cognitive-behavioral therapies provided by the public health system (SUS) between 2022 and 2024, with attendances jumping 96.4% from 42,300 to 83,000. Collective health activities and home visits also saw substantial rises.

Coinciding with these statements, an Inca study titled “The Bill the Tobacco Industry Doesn’t Count” was released. It revealed that for every R$1 of profit made by the tobacco industry, the federal government spends R$5 on treating smoking-related diseases. In 2019, each R$0.156 million in profit from legal cigarette sales equated to one death from related illnesses. The study concluded that for every R$1 of tobacco industry profit, Brazil incurs R$2.3 in direct treatment costs and R$5.1 in total (direct and indirect) costs. Inca epidemiologist André Szklo stressed the importance of measuring these societal costs to seek accountability and reimbursement from the industry, which he noted uses profits to encourage youth smoking initiation.

Matthew Ma
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