title: To Regulate or Not to Regulate? Views on Electronic Cigarette Regulations and Beliefs about the Reasons for and against Regulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Policies designed to restrict marketing, access to, and public use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly under debate in various jurisdictions in the US. Little is known about public perceptions of these policies and factors that predict their support or opposition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a sample of US adults from Amazon Mechanical Turk in May 2015, this paper identifies beliefs about the benefits and costs of regulating e-cigarettes and identifies which of these beliefs predict support for e-cigarette restricting policies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher proportion of respondents agreed with 8 different reasons to regulate e-cigarettes (48.5% to 83.3% agreement) versus 7 reasons not to regulate e-cigarettes (11.5% to 18.9%). The majority of participants agreed with 7 out of 8 reasons for regulation. When all reasons to regulate or not were included in a final multivariable model, beliefs about protecting people from secondhand vapor and protecting youth from trying e-cigarettes significantly predicted stronger support for e-cigarette restricting policies, whereas concern about government intrusion into individual choices was associated with reduced support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research identifies key beliefs that may underlie public support or opposition to policies designed to regulate the marketing and use of e-cigarettes. Advocates on both sides of the issue may find this research valuable in developing strategic campaigns related to the issue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific beliefs of potential benefits and costs of e-cigarette regulation (protecting youth, preventing exposure to secondhand vapor, and government intrusion into individual choices) may be effectively deployed by policy makers or health advocates in communicating with the public.
authors: Michigan State University, Department of Advertising and Public Relations, College of Communication Arts and Science, 404 Wilson Road, Lansing, Michigan, United States of America.
authors: Ashley
authors: A
authors: Sanders-Jackson
authors: Harvard University, TH Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Andy S L
authors: AS
authors: Tan
authors: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Communication, 3001 Lincoln Hall, 702 S. Wright Street Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
authors: Cabral A
authors: CA
authors: Bigman
authors: Northeastern University, Department of Communication Studies, College of Arts, Media and Design, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Mello
authors: Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Communication, 476 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: Niederdeppe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult