title: 2015 Legislative update of e-cigarette youth access and exposure laws.
abstract: As of November 15, 2013, 22 states had passed laws explicitly addressing youth access to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes); by 2014, this increased to 41 states. Also in 2014, more than 13.4% of youth in the U.S. reported using e-cigarettes, making e-cigarette use more prevalent than conventional cigarette use (9.2%).
  
  
  
  We examined 221 bills addressing youth access and exposure to e-cigarettes between January 1 and November 1, 2015. Text searches on individual state general assembly websites and secondary sources were employed for data collection. Laws were analyzed using seven measures identified to protect adolescents from nicotine initiation and use.
  
  
  
  Two states (MI, PA) and Washington D.C. do not regulate the sale or distribution of e-cigarettes to youth as of November 1, 2015. Additionally, seventeen states have passed laws requiring e-cigarettes to use child-safety packaging to minimize unintended poisoning. As of July 1, 2016, four states (KS, LA, MN, and NC) will tax e-cigarettes. Oregon prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in cars with children under 18years of age, and Wyoming requires the public health department to develop educational campaigns to better educate the state on the risks of nicotine and tobacco products.
  
  
  
  While states are closing the gap of youth nicotine exposure, there remains a need to protect youth from e-cigarettes access, which can cause adverse health effects of brain development, lung function and potentially lead to addiction. Recommendation for the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes federally would close this regulation gap and protect youth across the U.S.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York, at Cortland, Health Department, Cortland, NY, USA. Electronic address: pdaniel@uark.edu.
authors.forename: Page Daniel
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Dobbs
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, 306 HPER Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hammig
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, 306 HPER Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Abbie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sudduth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects*; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011634:Public Health; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Adolescent health; E-cigarette; E-cigarette laws; Electronic cigarette; Youth access