State Laws Regarding Indoor Public Use, Retail Sales, and Prices of Electronic Cigarettes — U.S. States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, September 30, 2017

Abstract

© 2017, Department of Health and Human Services. All rights reserved. What is already known about this topic? E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youths. E-cigarettes typically deliver nicotine, and the U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain. In addition to federal regulation, states, localities, territories, and tribes maintain broad authority to adopt additional or more stringent requirements regarding tobacco product use, sales, marketing, and other topics. What is added by this report? As of September 30, 2017, eight states, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico prohibited indoor e-cigarette use and smoking in restaurants, bars, and worksites; 26 states prohibited e-cigarette self-service displays; 16 states, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands required a retail license to sell e-cigarettes; five states, DC, and Guam had tobacco-21 laws; and eight states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands taxed e-cigarettes. Sixteen states had no such laws. What are the implications for public health practice? State, local, and territorial strategies to reduce youths’ initiation of e-cigarettes and population exposure to e-cigarette aerosol, which include educational initiatives, coupled with federal regulation of tobacco product manufacturing, labelling, and marketing, could help reduce e-cigarettes’ public health risks, especially among young persons.