E-Cigarettes: A Disruptive Technology? An Analysis of Health Actors' Positions on E-Cigarette Regulation in Scotland.
Concerns have been raised that the divisions emerging within public health in response to electronic cigarettes are weakening tobacco control. This paper employed thematic and network analysis to assess 90 policy consultation submissions and 18 interviews with political actors to examine the extent of, and basis for, divisions between health-focused actors with regard to the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and appropriate approaches to regulation in Scotland. The results demonstrated considerable engagement in e-cigarette policy development by health-focused actors and a widely held perception of strong disagreement. They show that actors agreed on substantive policy issues, such as age-of-sale restrictions and, in part, the regulation of advertising. Points of contestation were related to the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and the regulation of vaping in public places. The topicality, limitations of the evidence base and underlying values may help explain the heightened sense of division. While suggesting that some opportunities for joint advocacy might have been missed, this analysis shows that debates on e-cigarette regulation cast a light upon differences in thinking about appropriate approaches to health policy development within the public health community. Constructive debates on these divisive issues among health-focused actors will be a crucial step toward advancing public health.
['Weishaar|Heide Beatrix|HB|', 'Ikegwuonu|Theresa|T|', 'Smith|Katherine E|KE|0000-0002-1060-4102', 'Buckton|Christina H|CH|0000-0002-6004-4334', 'Hilton|Shona|S|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000073865:Cigarette Smoking D000079203:Disruptive Technology D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems D005260:Female D006291:Health Policy D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011634:Public Health D012606:Scotland D000072137:Vaping
Scotland public health electronic cigarettes tobacco control evidence advocacy health policy United Kingdom policy debate