Brazilian Representative Mauricio Neves has introduced Bill 1955/2026 to the Chamber of Deputies, aiming to establish a smoke-free generation by banning tobacco and nicotine sales to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The proposal, currently under legislative review, seeks to prevent youth nicotine addiction by permanently raising the legal purchase age year by year starting in 2027.
Under the proposed framework, the minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products will rise in lockstep with the calendar. In 2027, the minimum age will be set at 19. In 2028, it will rise to 20, continuing annually to ensure that the generation born in 2009 and later remains legally barred from purchasing these products even after they reach adulthood.
This legislative model is based on recent policies adopted in the United Kingdom. The strategy shifts the focus of public health policy from cessation to prevention, stopping young people from accessing nicotine products at the retail level.
Currently, the sale, import, and advertising of electronic cigarettes are prohibited in Brazil under regulations enforced by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). Despite this ban, illicit vapes circulate widely, particularly among high school students in regions like the Federal District. Bill 1955/2026 would alter how legal tobacco products, such as traditional cigarettes, are sold in convenience stores and supermarkets. Retailers would have to transition from verifying legal majority to checking specific birth dates.
Congress is currently divided on nicotine regulation. While Bill 1955/2026 seeks to phase out sales for the next generation, other pending proposals in the Chamber of Deputies aim to either codify the existing Anvisa ban into federal law or establish a regulated commercial market for vapes.
To become law, Bill 1955/2026 must pass through the designated House committees, secure approval in the plenary sessions of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, and receive the president's signature. The legislative process may alter the proposed 2027 start date and the annual phasing schedule.
