Perceived Harm of Secondhand Electronic Cigarette Vapors and Policy Support to Restrict Public Vaping: Results From a National Survey of US Adults

Abstract

This study shows that support for banning vaping in public spaces in the United States is positively associated with perceived health harms of SHV exposure. The findings suggest that continued monitoring of public perception of SHV harm and the accuracy of e-cigarette marketing claims about reduced harm would be needed to guide clean air policy decisions. With the emergence of new scientific evidence of the potential effects of SHV exposure, these results will serve as an important baseline of public perceptions and opinion during a time when such evidence was particularly limited.

Support for electronic cigarette regulations among California voters

“…In a sample of US adults in 2013,7 fewer than half of respondents believed that vaping should always be banned in restaurants (48%), bars (33%) or parks (26%). One year later8 most US adults supported bans on e-cigarettes where cigarette smoking is banned (57%), bans on sales to minors (71%), and marketing restrictions (71%), although support for bans on flavours remained low (34%) 9.…”

U.S. Adult Attitudes About Electronic Vapor Product Use in Indoor Public Places

“…Although the present study did not assess risk beliefs, these attitudinal differences may be due, in part, to potential misperceptions of harm toward secondhand EVP aerosol exposure 17, 18. In 2014, most (82.9.%) adult e-cigarette users did not think e-cigarette emissions were harmful to themselves orto bystanders, and a majority (59.5%) used e-cigarettes in smoke-free settings.…”

The particles around us

“…Additionally, emerging areas of concern include the health consequences of thirdhand tobacco smoke exposure, 7 secondhand exposure to marijuana smoke, 8 and secondhand exposure to emissions from vaping. 9 With respect to the risk factor "ambient particulate matter," a case must be made that this is an indoor air issue. Before considering that argument, let's explore some broader aspects of particulate matter (PM) as a contributor to air pollution and environmental health concerns.…”

“…Tobacco smoking remains an important cause of ill health both for smokers and for those exposed to secondhand smoke. Additionally, emerging areas of concern include the health consequences of thirdhand tobacco smoke exposure, secondhand exposure to marijuana smoke, and secondhand exposure to emissions from vaping …”