E-cigarette products present a novel challenge to regulators in the UK. Repeated studies have shown the value of e-cigarette products to smokers as smoking alternatives, and over the past five years this value has been recognised in official advice from healthcare providers.
Policies encouraging e-cigarette use, however, need careful designing to avoid causing negative outcomes. These could include introducing those who do not smoke – who may never have smoked – to nicotine through e-cigarette products. Likewise care must be taken not to incentivise the development of substandard or counterfeit products, while we must also consider the risk that young people will be encouraged to use e-cigarette products.
Vaping Regulation in 2022 explores this dilemma and, in identifying a number of clear gaps in the regulation, recommends what measures should be taken to close them.