Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the impact of state regulations on e-cigarette prevalence in the US. The study analyzes data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the US e-cigarette regulations-50 state review by the Public health Law Center. The study focuses on five state regulations on e-cigarettes: defining e-cigarettes as tobacco products, special tax, packaging, youth access, and licensure. The research aims to determine how these regulations are associated with populations' initiation and current use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes.
Key Points:
* The study finds that each of the five state regulations is associated with lower odds of initiation and use of e-cigarettes in the whole sample.
* The study also reveals significant differences in e-cigarette initiation and usage based on the number of state laws regulating e-cigarettes.
* The study finds that in the 18-24 age group, only the licensure was associated with lower initiation.
* In the 25-34 age group, the licensure and taxation were related to lower initiation and current usage.
* The study includes former smoking in the analysis in response to policy debates on impacts of e-cigarettes in reducing smoking prevalence.
* The study focuses on young adults (aged 18-35) due to their high initiation and usage rates, vulnerability to health risks, and their status as the target of state laws regulating minor access.
* The study excludes state laws that were effective after July 2016, but acknowledges the varying history of e-cigarette regulation by state.
Main Message:
The study suggests that states' policy efforts to regulate e-cigarettes comprehensively have the potential to lead to significant changes in e-cigarette prevalence. The study highlights the importance of state regulations, particularly those with a more direct impact on the public, such as special tax, licensure, packaging, and minimum sales age, in decreasing e-cigarette initiation and use. The research supports the need for more research tracking the impact of e-cigarette regulations, which will greatly support state policymakers' decision-making and tobacco control debates with e-cigarette manufacturers and lobbyists.
Citation
Jun J, Kim JK. Do state regulations on e-cigarettes have impacts on the e-cigarette prevalence? Tobacco control. 2021;30(2):221-226. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055287
