Electronic cigarettes in Venezuela, between regulation and total ban

The order of the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Madurothat the possibility of prohibiting the sale of electronic cigarettes it aroused the concern of vendors, who defend its use without opposing its regulation, and the expectations of the health sector, which supports the proposal as it is considered preventive.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) stated that “Electronic cigarettes are the most common form of electronic nicotine delivery systems”and “threaten to upend decades of fighting the smoking”.

A recent regulation of the manufacture, import, export, distribution, marketing, use and promotion of these devices was the preamble to the crusade undertaken by Maduro so that the sale of these devices, already prohibited in eight countries in the region, be eradicated.

While the Venezuelan Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (Sovetorax) supports “firmly these regulations that the national government has decided to make”According to its president, Lérida Padrón, those who sell these products say they live in the “uncertainty” since the measurements were taken.

Problem or solution?

Miguel Bwown, manager of a popular store of vapers, liquids and disposable devices in Caracas, acknowledged that it is a device that generates addiction, but “less harmful” than tobacco and is used by many to “replace” cigarettes, or just for fashion.

“As time has passed, the vaping public has grown a lot. Not only for the issue of replacing the cigar for the váper, also for fashion”, said the person in charge of this business, which has been operating for more than four years.

He explained that the sector agrees with the prohibition of sales to minors and pregnant women, and assured that it is a measure that many stores are already implementing to avoid legal problems, but he considered that preventing total sales will only harm the trade and reduce the job.

However, he admitted that consumption by minors “It is an issue that must be addressed.”

The total ban “It would be detrimental to us (…) because this is a source of employment (…) It would harm us because many of us depend on this (…) not only the consumer, but also the seller”, said.

In addition, he insisted that the device, which may or may not contain nicotine (an addictive substance), is used as a substitute for tobacco, whose harmful effects on health are much greater.

However, the president of Sovetorax stated that electronic cigarettes, even without nicotine, cause damage to the body.

“People think that non-nicotine vapers are harmless, which is completely false. One of the things that nicotine produces is addiction and it is what hooks the patient who uses these devices continuously. However, devices that do not deliver nicotine have also been known to cause harm.” pointed out the pulmonologist.

He warned that, although studies are still being carried out in this regard, it has been proven that among the damages caused by vaping are inflammation and respiratory infections due to the toxic substances that are released, in addition to the increased risk of suffering from cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, such as PAHO has reported.

Likewise, he added that “Using steam as part of smoking cessation therapy has been shown not to work.”

“Conventional smokers who have used the vaper have not given up tobacco and come to have a dual use, both of the vaper and of conventional tobacco. In other words, they are doing double damage to their lungs”he explained.

prevent vs control

Since June, when Maduro asked to evaluate the sale of these items, the institutions and the PAHO in Venezuela have activated a campaign on social networks that consists of warning about the risks in the use of vapers.

“The commercialization of vapers and electronic cigarettes is a setback in the fight against tobacco and the diseases it generates”recently recalled the WHO.

Meanwhile, e-cigarette shops in Caracas can already see signs banning sales to minors, with vendors insisting they will abide by the regulations to avoid reaching a full ban.

Source: EFE