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Claims in vapour device (e-cigarette) regulation: A Narrative Policy Framework analysis.
Renée O'Leary1, Ron Borland2, Tim Stockwell1
1Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, P.O. Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
The International Journal on Drug Policy
|April 18, 2017
Summary
Government regulations on electronic cigarettes (vapour devices) often focus on perceived threats, like youth uptake and health risks. This approach limits their potential for harm reduction, despite evidence suggesting benefits for tobacco cessation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Policy
- Consumer Product Regulation
Background:
- Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes or vapour devices) are rapidly growing consumer products.
- Governments worldwide are implementing regulations on e-cigarette sales and nicotine liquids.
- Competing claims about vapour devices have created a public health debate regarding their impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze claims about vapour devices in policy documents.
- To examine how these claims influenced regulatory outcomes in selected jurisdictions.
- To understand the role of the Narrative Policy Framework in analyzing health-related legislation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Narrative Policy Framework.
- Analyzed legislation recommendation reports from Queensland (Australia), Canada, and the European Union.
- Examined the 2016 US deeming rule legislation and its associated claims and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Most claims portrayed vapour devices as threats (harmful to users, gateway for youth, impediment to tobacco control).
- Positive claims regarding cessation or toxin reduction were rarely presented.
- Two of the four analyzed documents did not discuss positive claims at all.
Conclusions:
- Dominant claims framing vapour devices as public health threats have led to regulations restricting their harm reduction potential.
- Future policy discussions should consider the potential of vapour devices to reduce the health burden of the tobacco epidemic.
- Policy analysis using the Narrative Policy Framework can illuminate the influence of specific claims on regulatory decisions.