title: Smokers' attitudes and support for e-cigarette policies and regulation in the USA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In April 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule to extend its tobacco regulatory authority to e-cigarettes, which have been unregulated and growing in use since their 2006-2007 US introduction. The FDA will issue a final rule based on comments and data received from researchers, tobacco companies and the public. We aimed to present data about current smokers' awareness of and attitudes towards potential e-cigarette regulation and various policies in the USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional online e-cigarette focused survey of 519 adult current smokers in April 2014, before the FDA's proposed rule was announced. Participants were recruited from a private research panel (GFK's Knowledge Networks) designed to be representative of the US population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of respondents (62.5%) did not know that e-cigarettes are unregulated by the FDA but agreed that e-cigarettes should be regulated by the FDA for safety and quality (83.5%), carry warning labels about their potential risks (86.6%) and have the same legal age of sale as other tobacco (87.7%). Support was similarly high among current e-cigarette users. Support was substantial though lower overall for policies to restrict e-cigarette indoor use (41.2%), flavouring (44.3%) and advertising (55.5%), and was negatively associated with current e-cigarette use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Support for many e-cigarette regulatory policies is strong among smokers, including for policies that the FDA has recently proposed and potential future regulations. States considering indoor e-cigarette restrictions should know that a substantial number of current smokers support such regulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education & Behavioral Science, Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers School of Public Health, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Olivia A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Wackowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education & Behavioral Science, Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers School of Public Health, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Cristine D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Delnevo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011640:Public Policy; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D055815:Young Adult