New guidelines were discussed at a seminar during the week to identify gaps and research priorities on these devices
Inca (National Cancer Institute), Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz) and other research institutions are working on a joint letter with recommendations and guidelines for studies on so-called DEFs, which are electronic devices for smoking, such as electronic cigarettes, vapes and similar devices.
The document will be signed by the general director of Inca, Roberto Gil, by the deputy vice-president of Environment, Care and Health Promotion at Fiocruz, Patricia Canto, and by representatives of universities and research institutions across the country.
The guidelines were discussed during the week at the seminar Building a Priority Research Agenda on Electronic Smoking Devices for Brazilin Rio de Janeiro.
The researchers started from a survey, carried out from 2019 to March 2025, which identified 59 studies on the impacts of DEFs in the national scientific literature.
The research analyzed covers everything from damage to human health to epidemiological data on experimentation and use, in addition to regulatory and public policy aspects.
The general director of Inca stated that the seminar represented a collective effort to identify gaps and research priorities on these devices.
“We want to strengthen the scientific basis that guides public policies and expand the country’s ability to respond to this challenge, which represents a threat to the health of the Brazilian population, especially the new generations”highlighted Roberto Gil.
Researcher and deputy coordinator of the Center for Studies on Tobacco and Health at Fiocruz, Ana Paula Natividade said that the meeting sought to organize existing knowledge and point out paths for new investigations that strengthen public health.
“The accelerated advancement of these products and the tobacco industry’s strategies requires equally rapid and coordinated scientific responses,” these.
