Consequences of the ban e-cigarettes in Brazil

Overview

With 100% of e-cigarette consumption and supply now illegal due to a nationwide ban, Brazil still has up to 2.9 million e-cigarettes users and a booming black market dominated by organised crime.

Download full report: Vapour Regulation In Brazil

Confiscated vapour products – which have no quality standards, oversight, or accountability – have been found to contain toxic metals, extremely high nicotine levels, and even deadly fentanyl.

8.7% of Brazilian teens aged 14–17 were regular vapers in 2023 – nearly one million underage users – compared to just 5.4% of adults. The ban has fundamentally failed to protect minors.

Faced with a lack of safer alternatives, adult smoking prevalence has increased from 9.3% in 2020 to 11.6% in 2024, while 110,000 Brazilians continue to die each year from smoking-related disease

Despite growing evidence and repeated regulatory reviews, authorities continue to uphold the ban – allowing the black market to flourish while forfeiting control over public health.