IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i14p8518-d861097.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Reshaping of the E-Cigarette Retail Environment: Its Evolution and Public Health Concerns

Author

Listed:
  • Carla J. Berg

    (Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Avenue, Washington, DC 20052, USA
    George Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, 800 22nd Street NW, #7000C, Washington, DC 20052, USA)

  • Albert Melena

    (San Fernando Valley Partnership, Inc., 1131 Celis Street, San Fernando, CA 91340, USA)

  • Friedner D. Wittman

    (CLEW Associates, 950 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA)

  • Tomas Robles

    (San Fernando Valley Partnership, Inc., 1131 Celis Street, San Fernando, CA 91340, USA)

  • Lisa Henriksen

    (Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3180 Porter Drive, Suite 125, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA)

Abstract

E-cigarette use represents a public health controversy in the US and globally. Despite the potential of e-cigarettes to support cigarette cessation, their use increases health risks and risk for addiction, particularly in young people. Various federal, state, and local laws have impacted tobacco retail in general and e-cigarettes in particular. In the US, 2019–2020 federal laws increased in the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to 21 and banned flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes. Many states and localities were early adopters of Tobacco 21 and implemented more comprehensive flavor restrictions than the federal ban. Meanwhile, cannabis retail is increasingly being legalized in the US—while cannabis-based product regulation has notable gaps at the federal, state, and local levels. These regulatory complexities have impacted specialized retailers selling e-cigarettes, including “vape shops” that exclusively sell e-cigarettes, “smoke shops” that sell e-cigarettes and other tobacco (and potentially CBD/THC and other un- or under-regulated products), and online retail. This commentary outlines public health concerns related to: (1) youth access; (2) consumer exposure to a broader range of tobacco products and marketing in retail settings where they may seek products to aid in cigarette cessation (i.e., such broad product exposure could hinder cessation attempts); (3) consumer exposure to un-/under-regulated products (e.g., delta-8-THC, kratom); and (4) federal, state, and local regulations being undermined by consumer access to prohibited products online and via the mail. These concerns underscore the need for ongoing surveillance of how retailers and consumers respond to regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Carla J. Berg & Albert Melena & Friedner D. Wittman & Tomas Robles & Lisa Henriksen, 2022. "The Reshaping of the E-Cigarette Retail Environment: Its Evolution and Public Health Concerns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-13, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8518-:d:861097
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8518/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8518/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zongshuan Duan & Katelyn F. Romm & Lisa Henriksen & Nina C. Schleicher & Trent O. Johnson & Theodore L. Wagener & Steven Y. Sussman & Barbara A. Schillo & Jidong Huang & Carla J. Berg, 2022. "The Impact of Recent Tobacco Regulations and COVID-19 Restrictions and Implications for Future E-Cigarette Retail: Perspectives from Vape and Vape-and-Smoke Shop Merchants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Carla J. Berg, 2016. "Preferred flavors and reasons for e-cigarette use and discontinued use among never, current, and former smokers," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(2), pages 225-236, March.
    3. Baker, H.M. & Lee, J.G.L. & Ranney, L.M. & Goldstein, A.O., 2015. "Discrepancy in self-report "loosie" use and federal compliance checks," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(9), pages 1-1.
    4. Greta Hsu & Anthony C. Gamst & Yue-Lin Zhuang & Tanya Wolfson & Shu-Hong Zhu, 2019. "A Comparison of E-Cigarette Use Patterns and Smoking Cessation Behavior among Vapers by Primary Place of Purchase," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-13, February.
    5. Mohammad Siahpush & Raees A. Shaikh & Danielle Smith & Andrew Hyland & K. Michael Cummings & Asia Sikora Kessler & Michael D. Dodd & Les Carlson & Jane Meza & Melanie Wakefield, 2016. "The Association of Exposure to Point-of-Sale Tobacco Marketing with Quit Attempt and Quit Success: Results from a Prospective Study of Smokers in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-10, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ellen Galstyan & Artur Galimov & Leah Meza & Jimi Huh & Carla J. Berg & Jennifer B. Unger & Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati & Steve Sussman, 2022. "An Assessment of Vape Shop Products in California before and after Implementation of FDA and State Regulations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-10, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Neil McKeganey & Tiffany Dickson, 2017. "Why Don’t More Smokers Switch to Using E-Cigarettes: The Views of Confirmed Smokers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Elizabeth K. Do & Kathleen Aarvig & Emily M. Donovan & Barbara A. Schillo & Donna M. Vallone & Elizabeth C. Hair, 2023. "Underage Youth Continue to Obtain E-Cigarettes from Retail Sources in 2022: Evidence from the Truth Continuous Tracking Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-7, January.
    3. Zongshuan Duan & Yan Wang & Katelyn F. Romm & Lisa Henriksen & Nina C. Schleicher & Carla J. Berg, 2022. "State T21, Restrictions on Flavored E-Cigarette Products, and Non-Medical Cannabis Sales Legalization in Relation to Young Adult Reports of Vape Shop Age Verification and Product Offerings: A Multilev," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.
    4. John Buckell & Joachim Marti & Jody L. Sindelar, 2017. "Should Flavors be Banned in E-cigarettes? Evidence on Adult Smokers and Recent Quitters from a Discrete Choice Experiment," NBER Working Papers 23865, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Kathryn Rosbrook & Hanno C Erythropel & Tamara M DeWinter & Mark Falinski & Stephanie O’Malley & Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin & Paul T Anastas & Julie B Zimmerman & Barry G Green, 2017. "The effect of sucralose on flavor sweetness in electronic cigarettes varies between delivery devices," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Mohammed M. Alqahtani & Zachary B. Massey & Robert T. Fairman & Victoria Churchill & David L. Ashley & Lucy Popova, 2022. "General and Device-Specific Reasons for ENDS Use: A Qualitative Study with Adult ENDS Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-14, June.
    7. Allison M. Glasser & Julianna M. Nemeth & Amanda J. Quisenberry & Abigail B. Shoben & Erika S. Trapl & Elizabeth G. Klein, 2022. "Cigarillo Flavor and Motivation to Quit among Co-Users of Cigarillos and Cannabis: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Joachim Marti & John Buckell & Johanna Catherine Maclean & Jody Sindelar, 2019. "To “Vape” Or Smoke? Experimental Evidence On Adult Smokers," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 705-725, January.
    9. Christine E. Kistler & Trisha M. Crutchfield & Erin L. Sutfin & Leah M. Ranney & Micah L. Berman & Gary A. Zarkin & Adam O. Goldstein, 2017. "Consumers’ Preferences for Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Product Features: A Structured Content Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, June.
    10. Yu Wang & Zongshuan Duan & Scott R. Weaver & Lucy Popova & Claire A. Spears & David L. Ashley & Terry F. Pechacek & Michael P. Eriksen & Jidong Huang, 2022. "Consumption of JUUL vs. Other E-Cigarette Brands among U.S. E-Cigarette Users: Evidence from Wave 5 of the PATH Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, August.
    11. Zachary R. Dunbar & Gary Giovino & Binnian Wei & Richard J. O’Connor & Maciej L. Goniewicz & Mark J. Travers, 2020. "Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Smoke-Free Spaces by Smokers: Results from the 2014–2015 Population Assessment on Tobacco and Health Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-16, February.
    12. Kim A. G. J. Romijnders & Liesbeth Van Osch & Hein De Vries & Reinskje Talhout, 2018. "Perceptions and Reasons Regarding E-Cigarette Use among Users and Non-Users: A Narrative Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, June.
    13. Ellen Galstyan & Artur Galimov & Leah Meza & Jimi Huh & Carla J. Berg & Jennifer B. Unger & Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati & Steve Sussman, 2022. "An Assessment of Vape Shop Products in California before and after Implementation of FDA and State Regulations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-10, November.
    14. Brian L. Rostron & Joanne T. Chang & Cindy M. Chang & Rebecca A. Jackson & Bridget K. Ambrose, 2020. "ENDS Flavor Preference by Menthol Cigarette Smoking Status among US Adults, 2018–2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-8, December.
    15. Mohammad Siahpush & Paraskevi A. Farazi & Jungyoon Kim & Tzeyu L. Michaud & Aaron M. Yoder & Ghada Soliman & Melissa K. Tibbits & Minh N. Nguyen & Raees A. Shaikh, 2016. "Social Disparities in Exposure to Point-of-Sale Cigarette Marketing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-9, December.
    16. Liane M. Schneller & Maansi Bansal-Travers & Maciej L. Goniewicz & Scott McIntosh & Deborah Ossip & Richard J. O’Connor, 2019. "Use of Flavored E-Cigarettes and the Type of E-Cigarette Devices Used among Adults and Youth in the US—Results from Wave 3 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2015–2016)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-12, August.
    17. Kim AGJ Romijnders & Erna JZ Krüsemann & Sanne Boesveldt & Kees de Graaf & Hein de Vries & Reinskje Talhout, 2019. "E-Liquid Flavor Preferences and Individual Factors Related to Vaping: A Survey among Dutch Never-Users, Smokers, Dual Users, and Exclusive Vapers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-15, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8518-:d:861097. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.