The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: In developing countries, as Brazil, where financial resources are insufficient to introduce the tobacco control measures proposed by WHO-FCTC. So, describing the Brazilian experience in the implementation of Registration Fees for tobacco products, can be helpful, mainly for countries where local legislation would permit the adoption of same mechanisms for financial support.

Methods: The law 9782, that created ANVISA, a Regulatory Agency, also established the Registration Fee, which is charged on regulated products and services that involve risks for human health. Fees provide important part of the funding necessary for the Agency activities. The fee value is based on the costs of control actions, basically those involved with laboratorial analysis. The analytical costs are high and because of this the Registration Fee by brand of product is US$35.000.00. The registration is obligatory to all tobacco brands, and intends mainly to compile information about composition of products and smoke constituents, which will be useful for future regulations.

Results: As result of the funding from fees, ANVISA will initiate next year two important actions: the implantation of the Official Laboratory for Research and Analysis of Tobacco Products, which will be constructed and maintained with the Fees and governmental resources, and the transference of financial resources to the Health Surveillance Centers over the country, in order to improve effectiveness of tobacco control and ads fiscalization in the States e Municipalities. The funding provided by fees and fines from rules violations have been fundamental in promoting the regulatory actions in the national territory.