Puff Puff Pass the Legislation: A Comparison of E-Cigarette Regulations Across Borders

This comment explores the types of legislation, approaches to regulating e-cigarettes, and analyzes whether the FDA’s campaign and current regulations are effective. So far, it appears that the United States is ahead of the game with its new, aggressive proposal for regulating e-cigarettes. The FDA is standing against the companies and products that target youthful consumers. Most countries acknowledge the gaps in current scientific research regarding the long-term health risks of vaping, and some are waiting to take a legislative stance until it is clearer which side of the health line e-cigarettes fall. Section II of this comment discusses the types of regulations that countries enact. Section III examines the potential health risks of e-cigarettes, and how the United States is changing its approach to combat the growing youth e-cigarette epidemic. Section IV details the European Union’s stance on e-cigarettes. Section V outlines how China has yet to take any real legislative stance on e-cigarette products. Section VI details the harm e-cigarettes can do to the human body and details the World Health Organization’s recommendation for countries. Section VII briefly discusses the argument that the value of e-cigarettes as a nicotine replacement therapy outweighs the dangers of youth vaping. At the end of this comment, it will be clear that the United States is taking a firm stance to combat youth e-cigarette use. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes are at the forefront of the FDA’s mind, and its hard-hitting approach is yielding results. Compared to other countries, the United States combats youth e-cigarette use head-on and has the tools to successfully quash it