Anvisa stated that “it is not possible to present the vitamins in the form of vaporizers” and that “the product cannot be sold as a food supplement”
Social networks were abuzz with the announcement of an electronic cigarette that supposedly does not contain nicotine and is still good for your health as it contains vitamins.
The National Health Supervision Agency (Anvisa) said that “it is not possible to present the vitamins in the form of vaporizers” and that “the product cannot be sold as a food supplement”.
BBC News Brasil also listened to experts to understand whether the device actually causes health benefits.
The sale of this and any other vaporizer of the same type is prohibited on the national territory. Nonetheless, a survey published in 2022 showed that nearly one in five Brazilians aged 18 to 24 have used some type of e-cigarette at least once in their lives.
On social media, the device produced by IZ Health is featured by a model in a video of herself exercising while using the vaporizer.
In the advertisement she also states that inhaling the smoke from the “pod” gives her more energy, a sort of food supplement.
“With IX Power you guarantee the energy necessary to carry out the most diverse tasks, without harm to your health and with a mint and citrus flavor, which makes it even more delicious. IZ ‘pods’ are vitamin concentrates designed for use daily. day,” the woman says in the video while exercising.
BBC News Brasil found several websites selling the product. The cheapest costs R$55 while the most expensive costs R$75.
Jaqueline Scholz, a professor at the USP School of Medicine and director of the Incor Smoking Treatment Program, says the promotion of this vaporizer “is pure deceptive marketing.”
“The lung is not the digestive tract to receive vitamins. The lung is made to receive air and the purer it is, the better. The micro and nano particles can cause an inflammatory process and, in more serious cases, the patient may also have to be intubated,” we read.
In the advertisement for the essence vaporizer sold as healthy, the model claims that nutrients are absorbed by the mucosa when inhaling the vapor produced at low temperatures.
André Nathan, a pulmonologist at Sírio-Libanês Hospital, said he was not aware of any studies indicating the absorption of vitamins by the human respiratory system.
“It was not designed for this and I know of no studies on this route of vitamin absorption,” he says in the report.
After widespread backlash from the video, the company IZ Health deactivated all of its social media accounts. The report attempted to contact them to hear from them about the case, but received no response as of the publication of this report.
BBC News Brasil found no evidence that the IZ Health company operates in Brazil, such as a CNPJ, an official website or a contact channel. There is also no information whether it is based in another country or whether the products offered were manufactured at the request of another company or individual.
When contacted, Anvisa reported that “resolution RDC 46/2009 bans electronic smoking devices”. According to the agency, the text “applies to all accessories and refills intended for use in any electronic smoking device.”
Anvisa also informed that “the toxicity profile of the substances used in the devices in question considering their use via vaporization is not known.”
According to the agency, “the pharmaceutical forms that can be used in food supplements are those intended for oral administration and ingestion, i.e. through the mouth”.
“Only air”
Jaqueline Scholz, doctor and researcher at the Cardiac Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas of the USP Faculty of Medicine, says that taking inhaled drugs or supplements is not advisable. She tells the reporter that the exceptions are patients with respiratory problems, such as asthmatics.
“The respiratory system only serves to receive air. Except in very limited and even desperate situations, when for example it is not possible to have peripheral access,” the USP doctor tells BBC News Brasil.
Scholz says that even if it were removed, the advert would have already done “tremendous damage” by convincing people that the product can provide health benefits.
She claims that it is exactly the opposite and that inhaling essences through vaporizers can be even more harmful than cigarettes.
“First of all, because it’s not vapor, it’s an aerosol. Vapor is nothing more than water made from water. And the aerosol contains microparticles that pass through the alveoli, attack our membranes, which are ultra-thin, and can cause serious inflammation. Electronic cigarettes have batteries that generate a much greater quantity of nanoparticles than conventional cigarettes”, explains the doctor.
For her, the company managers must be identified and held responsible, as well as the social networks that allowed the dissemination of the content.
He also argues that the spread of fake products should be fought in the same way as the spread of fake news on social media.
“When you breathe in something that contains an ultra-small particle, it enters the bloodstream and can infect the lungs, triggering acute asthma. I don’t recommend inhaling anything. You can inhale heavy metals, nickel and copper. Carcinogenic materials that can be absorbed by the body.”
She summarizes that the talk of essence vaporizers labeled as healthy is “yet another artifice of the e-cigarette industry, along with the colors and flavors, used to attract younger people.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
