The Role of Uncertainty in Regulating E‐Cigarettes: The Emergence of a Regulatory Regime, 2005‐15

• Published in: Politics & policy (Statesboro, Ga.) Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 407 - 429
• Main Author: Newman, Joshua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2019
• Subjects: Case studies; Cigarettes; Cigarrillos Electrónicos; Development policy; Electronic cigarettes; Electronic Smoking; Evidence‐Based Policy; E‐Cigarettes; Health care policy; Health hazards; Health Policy Regulation; Health risks; Incertidumbre; Industrial policy; Legislation; Mass media effects; Política Basada en Evidencia; Política de Regulación; Public Health; Regulation; Regulation Action; Regulation Policy; Regulatory Regime; Riesgo; Riesgos Para la Salud Pública; Risk; Smoking; Stem cells; Tobacco; Uncertainty; Vaping; 不确定性; 公共健康危害; 基于证据的政策; 电子烟; 管制政策; 风险
• ISSN: 1555-5623; 1747-1346
• DOI: 10.1111/polp.12294

Increasingly, the regulation of public health hazards is subject to an appraisal of the risk of harm to various target populations. However, an expanding body of evidence suggests that when faced with a deficit of information concerning a particular public health risk, governments and regulators do very little to address the risk directly. By examining the case of the first ten years of the availability of electronic cigarettes (2005‐15), this article illustrates a scenario in which regulation to manage public health risks does not occur, because there is insufficient information to support a particular course of action. It then argues that when information is sparse, regulators can find themselves in a zone of uncertainty within which regulatory action can be a significant challenge. Related Articles Givel, Michael S., and Andrew L. Spivak. 2008. “Public Management and the Public Good: The Case of Oklahoma’s 2002 Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Rules.” Politics & Policy 36 (3): 430‐447. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00115.x Harvey, Olivia. 2009. “Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in the United States: Some Policy Options for Industry Development.” Politics & Policy 37 (1): 51‐71. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2008.00161.x Pautz, Michelle C. 2009. “Trust between Regulators and the Regulated: A Case Study of Environmental Inspectors and Facility Personnel in Virginia.” Politics & Policy 37 (5): 1047‐1072. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2009.00210.x Related Media Baird, Craig. 2016. “Effects of Vaping Up in the Air; City Plans to Follow Provincial Legislation Regarding Smoking Bans.” The Leader‐Post (Regina, Canada). May 14, A8. Britton, John, and Ilze Bogdanovica. 2014. Electronic Cigarettes: A Report Commissioned by Public Health England. London: Public Health England. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311887/Ecigarettes_report.pdf Galewitz, Phil. 2016. “Here’s What’s Clear as FDA Regulates Vaping.” The Washington Post. No. 05/2016. https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-washington-post/20160510/283162902808111 Cada vez más, la regulación de los peligros para la salud pública está sujeta a una evaluación del riesgo de daños a varias poblaciones específicas. Sin embargo, un cuerpo de evidencia en expansión sugiere que cuando se enfrentan a un déficit de información sobre un riesgo particular para la salud pública, los gobiernos y los reguladores hacen muy poco para abordar el riesgo directamente. Al examinar el caso de los primeros diez años de disponibilidad de cigarrillos electrónicos (2005‐2015), este artículo ilustra un escenario en el que no se produce una regulación para gestionar los riesgos para la salud pública, porque no hay información suficiente para apoyar un curso particular de acción. Luego argumenta que cuando la información es escasa, los reguladores pueden encontrarse en una zona de incertidumbre dentro de la cual la acción reguladora puede ser un desafío importante. 公共健康危害管制越来越受到针对各种目标人口所受的伤害风险评估的影响。然而，越来越多的证据表明，当面临有关某一特定公共健康风险的信息缺失时，政府和监管机构在直接应对这种危机方面做得很少。本文通过研究电子烟上市头十年(2005‐2015年)的案例，描述了一种公共健康风险零监管的情景。这是因为没有足够的信息来支持某一特定的行动方针。其次，本文指出，当信息稀少时，监管机构可能会发现自己处于一个不确定的区域，在这个区域内，监管行动可能是一项重大挑战。