Brazil maintains vape ban, tightens import restrictions

Recently, the Brazilian Food and Drug Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) held a board meeting to confirm and strengthen the e-cigarette ban, the agency’s board of directors voted unanimously to maintain Brazil’s ban since 2009. It also tightened restrictions on the import of e-cigarettes, prohibiting personal carrying and personal use, and added a “transport and storage” ban, meaning it is also illegal to carry e-cigarettes on the street.
The decision, which took effect on May 2, bans the manufacture, import, sale, distribution, storage, transportation and advertising of all e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, as well as the use of such products in any place accessible to the public.
However, despite the Brazilian government’s opposition to e-cigarettes and stricter import restrictions, the country’s large black market will still thrive and profits will flow to organized crime groups rather than regulated local businesses. With more than 203. million inhabitants, Brazil is the most populous country in Latin America and the seventh-largest in the world, making the e-cigarette black market almost impossible to control.
A recent survey found that more than 4 million Brazilians have smoked electronic cigarettes at some point, according to VaporAqui, a Brazilian vaping website. A separate survey by the government agency showed that nearly 17 percent of students aged 13 to 17 had used e-cigarettes at least once.