Brazil. The Government approved a new law (12,408) prohibiting the marketing of spray paints to children under the age of 18. From now on the sale of this product at retail can only be done by presenting a document from the buyer who will be identified with the corresponding invoice.
The law also indicates that the packaging of aerosol paints must contain in a legible and prominent way a warning text for sale to minors in which Article 65 of Law No. 9.605/98 is highlighted. This regulation began to operate since May 26 and from that date companies have 180 days for manufacturers, importers and exporters to adapt their packaging with the new rules and thus be able to market them before the end of the validity period.
Another of the changes in that law establishes differences between what is called Pichação (vandalism of scratching murals) and grafitagem (the same action but considered as an artistic manifestation).
"The approval of this new law avoided harmful measures for users of spray paints of important applications such as decoration, maintenance and handicrafts, while better exemplifying Pichação and establishing some ways to avoid it, such as with notices prohibiting sale to minors. This initiative aligns with our stance of support against a practice facing cities," said Dilson Ferreira, CEO of Abrafati.
Local media reported that before the passage of this law, some construction materials dealers had already taken action against graffiti artists. The big markets keep these sprays in closed cabinets, other stores since before did not sell them to minors, since they had suffered acts of vandalism.
