As a Brazilian deeply passionate about harm reduction and individual freedom, I can’t help but feel frustrated when I look at the vaping situation in Brazil. 

It’s a country that seems stuck in the past, clinging to outdated policies and fear-mongering campaigns, while people pay the price — literally — with their health. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a shining example we can look to: Sweden.

Sweden is leading the world in tobacco harm reduction, and its success is undeniable. Through innovative policies and a realistic approach to nicotine use, it’s managed to achieve something extraordinary — a record-low smoking rate of just 5%. It’s essentially made smoking a thing of the past, not by banning alternatives but by embracing them.

The Brazilian Approach: Prohibition and Stigma

In Brazil, vaping is in a legal gray area. Vapes, tobacco heaters, nicotine e-liquids, and anything related to THR are outright banned. The official stance of ANVISA (Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency) is clear in its statement: vaping is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, mainly because of the youth. 

But here’s the kicker — people are still vaping.

The black market for vaping products is thriving, and it’s completely unregulated. Instead of ensuring the safety of these products, Brazil’s ban leaves consumers vulnerable to counterfeit and potentially harmful items. What’s worse, the rhetoric around vaping here is alarmist. Public health campaigns, headlines, and reports on local news demonize vaping at all costs, lumping it in with traditional cigarettes (or even saying that’s worse), despite overwhelming scientific evidence all around the world that vaping is significantly less harmful.

As a result, smokers who might have switched to a safer alternative are either sticking with cigarettes or risking unregulated products, and youth are consuming vapes from the black market. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone.

On the other hand, we must look at Sweden. This small Scandinavian nation has become a global leader in harm reduction by doing the exact opposite of what Brazil is doing. Instead of bans, Sweden promotes access to less harmful nicotine products like snus and, more recently, vaping.

Snus — a smokeless tobacco product — has been a critical part of Sweden’s strategy. While the EU bans snus in other member states, Sweden negotiated an exemption, recognizing its potential to reduce smoking rates. The result? A staggering decline in smoking-related illnesses and deaths. When vaping entered the scene, Sweden adopted the same pragmatic approach. Rather than fear it, they embraced it as another tool to reduce harm. Swedish authorities focus on informing the public about the relative risks of nicotine products. The message is clear: while no nicotine product is 100% safe, alternatives like vaping are far less harmful than smoking.

And the numbers speak for themselves. Sweden’s tobacco-related cancer rates are the lowest in Europe. Think about that for a second—a country that chose education and accessibility over prohibition is now a world leader in public health outcomes.

Brazil urges to wake up and see the bigger picture. The war on vaping isn’t helping anyone — it’s hurting smokers, empowering the black market, and wasting public resources on ineffective campaigns. The country must shift its mindset from “quit or die” to harm reduction. People will always consume nicotine, and offering safer alternatives is the responsible way forward.

Okay, but what can we do?

Since we already know that prohibition doesn’t work, we should regulate vaping products, ensuring they meet safety standards. This would protect consumers and drive out the black market. Also, another thing that definitely doesn’t work is fear-based campaigns, but focusing on educating people about the risks of smoking versus the relative safety of vaping can change the whole game. And last but not least, empowering smokers to switch is the best way to make it work effectively. Instead of shaming smokers, give them a free choice (since they own it, naturally) to switch to safer alternatives, which means making vaping products legal, accessible, and affordable.

And why all of this matters?

This isn’t just about public health statistics or to make Brazil look good in the international community — it’s about real Brazilian lives. 

Every smoker who can’t access a safer alternative is at risk of devastating diseases like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Every person who buys an unregulated product is gambling with their health. Sweden is clear proof that a harm-reduction approach works. It’s time for Brazil to stop vilifying vaping and start embracing it as a life-saving tool.

As a libertarian and an advocate for harm reduction, I believe in personal freedom. People should have the right to choose safer alternatives without being punished or misled. The government’s role should be to inform, not control.

I dream of a future where Brazil follows Sweden’s lead. Smoking rates plummet, public health improves, and thousands — if not millions — of lives are saved. That’s the country I want to see Brazil become, and it starts with breaking free from the chain of prohibition.

The choice is clear, and I hope we make wise decisions. Lives depend on it.