A group of doctors from the Latin American Network for the Reduction of Damage from Smoking (Reldat) and representatives of vaping associations from 7 countries in the region, expressed to the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, their rejection of the ban implemented by the government of Panama, through Law 315 of 2022, which prohibits the use, import and commercialization of electronic nicotine administration systems, electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, tobacco heaters and other similar devices with or without nicotine, in the Republic of Panama .
In a letter received on Monday, April 24, in the office of the Panamanian president, they pointed out that Law 315 ignores the more than 2,000 studies in different research areas that support this type of device for reducing damage caused by smoking. , and that they are of benefit to the smoking population of Panama. One of the studies cited by the signatories of the letter is the Cochrane Collaboration, of which more than 30,000 doctors from 190 countries are part.
The applicants mention that the public health efforts of the governments of France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and even the United States, which stand out for their fight against smoking, were not taken into account either. Particularly the cases of the United Kingdom and New Zealand, who use this type of electronic device as a viable option for smokers, encouraging access, far from prohibiting it.
They explain that all these studies leave in the past the health concerns that existed years ago regarding these products. An example of fact, is that it is now universally known that the consumption of nicotine without combustion is considerably safer and less harmful to health, and that according to Public Health England, the prolonged use of these devices is 95% less harmful than that of combustion cigarettes. However, they assure, none of these experiences were taken into account during the approval process of Law 315 of 2022.
They indicate that in addition to the scientific evidence and the experiences of other countries, a factor of great interest to the country was not considered either, such as the fact that this type of prohibition creates the conditions for the emergence of an illicit market for these products, promoting the appearance of products of low quality and dubious origin that could cause serious effects on the health of consumer citizens and encourage crime, as shown by the most recent results of a Nielsen survey, which indicates that of each 100 cigarettes sold in Panama, 92 are contraband.
They warn that by leaving the door open to the illicit market with these prohibitions, the state loses the opportunity to raise money through taxes on these products, which could help strengthen health programs aimed at eradicating tobacco use by combustion .
Without forgetting to mention that the prohibition of lower risk products will increase the rates of combustion tobacco smoking in Panama and consequently, the risk of more Panamanians getting sick and dying from this cause will grow, which translates into a greater spending for the state in terms of health care for this segment of the population.
In the letter, they list the characteristics that a fair public policy must have, ranging from establishing a specific regulatory category for alternative nicotine consumption products, which must comply with the particular and distinctive characteristics, as well as the substitute nature of cigarettes. non-combustible and non-tobacco derivatives, to encouraging adult smokers who do not quit smoking to replace tobacco with smokeless alternatives while, at the same time, prohibiting, inspecting and discouraging the use of these products by children and non-smoking adults . This is based on the experience of countries where these public health strategies have been successful, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Japan, France and New Zealand, among others.
For all of the above, the signatories invite President Cortizo to repeal Law 315 of 2022 and propose a reasonable public regulation policy that prevents the illegal market from increasing and allows adult smokers to freely choose safer products.
