The Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has canceled its planned visit to British American Tobacco (BAT) in London. The agency made this decision to prevent any misunderstanding regarding the reopening of discussions about e-cigarette authorization in Brazil.

The visit was originally scheduled for January 28th to 31st and was to include two directors and two staff members from Anvisa. In a statement, Anvisa emphasized: “Anvisa’s regulatory process is guided by transparency and predictability, ensuring that its regulatory agenda is widely known by society.”

The cancellation of the visit was aimed at clarifying the organization’s regulatory goals regarding tobacco products. Currently, Congress is actively debating the potential lifting of the ban on e-cigarettes in Brazil. In April 2024, Anvisa updated its regulations and decided to maintain the ban on these devices as a precautionary measure until sufficient research is available to demonstrate their safety, media has reported.

Anvisa reiterated that e-cigarettes remain banned in Brazil and stated that there is no new evidence that would warrant reopening discussions on the topic.