BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Brazil has established a National Tobacco Control Policy aligned with the WHO FCTC and has a National Commission FCTC Implementation since 1999, which is responsible for the governance of this Policy.
This Policy includes strategies to decrease both the demand for and supply of tobacco products, addresses civil and criminal liability of the tobacco industry, protection of public policies from industry interference, and promotes scientific and technical cooperation as well as data exchange among countries.
In accordance with Art. 2 WHO FCTC, which encourages Parties to implement measures beyond treaty's obligations, Brazil is persistently adopting strategies to decrease tobacco use prevalence.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Several tobacco control legislation have been adopted in Brazil in the last 30 years and played an important role.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Brazil's effective implementation of the WHO FCTC has significantly reduced smoking prevalence from 34.8% in 1989 to 12.6% in 2019. This achievement suggests that adopting endgame strategies to further decrease smoking rates is achievable. With continued efforts, Brazil could potentially lower smoking prevalence to below 5% by 2040 or even earlier.
To achieve this goal, Brazil should strengthen existing policies, such as increasing tobacco taxes, enforcing the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, and introducing innovative measures like implementing plain packaging and reducing the number of points of sale, among others.
CONCLUSIONS: The drive towards a tobacco endgame is crucial for advancing both global and national tobacco control policies. To effectively implement such an endgame, it is essential to clearly define the term "smoking" to ensure that all tobacco and nicotine products are encompassed in the legislation. This approach is essential to prevent the emergence of a new generation addicted to alternative nicotine delivery systems.
Endgame strategies should bolster existing measures, address current shortcomings, and introduce innovative approaches to achieve a genuine and irreversible progression toward a nicotine-free world.