Experts gather in downtown Rio to debate anti-tobacco policies, strategic litigation and the link between smoking and social vulnerability.
The Instituto Superior de Ciências da Saúde Carlos Chagas (ICC), in partnership with ACT Promoção da Saúde, hosts the event “Defending the Human Right to Health in the Fight Against Tobacco Use in Brazil” on Monday, March 23, 2026. The gathering takes place from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Instituto Carlos Chagas auditorium in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Admission is free.
The event brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, legal experts, public institution representatives and civil society organizations. The central goal is to discuss the main challenges and strategies for legal and political advocacy in tobacco control, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable populations.
Tobacco as a marker of social inequality
Carlos Nicodemo, an attorney at ICC and advisory member of Brazil’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), puts it plainly: “Despite regulatory advances, the most severe impacts of smoking are prevalent among people with lower income and lower education levels, with clear interference from social factors. Tobacco acts as a marker of social inequality, deepening vulnerabilities.”
“Tobacco acts as a marker of social inequality, deepening vulnerabilities.” — Carlos Nicodemo, ICC attorney and CNDH advisory member
Nicodemo also points out that Brazilian legislation needs to be updated to address e-cigarettes, hookah (narguilé) and cigarette butts, all of which are increasingly threatening environmental sustainability.
Event program
The opening session at 1 PM will feature professor Dr. Ricardo Cavalcanti, president of ICC; Mariana Pinho, coordinator of the Tobacco Project at ACT Promoção da Saúde; Ivana Leal, president of the National Human Rights Council; and Patrícia Oliveira, president of the Rio de Janeiro State Human Rights Council.
The first panel at 1:30 PM will address “Tackling Tobacco Use on the Ground and the Situational Framework in Brazil,” featuring medical specialists, human rights advocates and civil society organizations. At 3:30 PM, the second panel will cover “National and International Human Rights Systems and the Protection of the Human Right to Health in the Fight Against Tobacco Use,” with jurists, Public Defenders and human rights experts.
At 5 PM, the strategic litigation and advocacy initiative developed by Instituto Carlos Chagas with ACT Promoção da Saúde’s support will be presented. The initiative is part of the project “Strategic Litigation and Advocacy in the Fight Against Tobacco Use from the Perspective of Human Rights, Diversity, Racial and Social Equality,” supported by the INOVACT initiative.
Event Info
- Date: Monday, March 23, 2026
- Time: 1 PM to 5 PM (BRT)
- Venue: Instituto Carlos Chagas Auditorium — Rua Uruguaiana, 10, 24th floor, Centro, Rio de Janeiro
- Free registration: https://forms.gle/R2PpBcEA1Fvvz4kP9
Photo: Matsuda Press
