A growing number of states are considering or have passed e-cigarette registry bills, also known as “e-registry”, that have been predominantly supported by the commercial tobacco industry. These bills will establish state-run directories of e-cigarette products that can be sold within the state and limit these products to those that have submitted premarket tobacco product applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, there is skepticism if the registries will help to minimize e-cigarette products sold in a state and the impact that it will have on public health goals.
In a recent webinar, the Public Health Law Center went over what the typical “e-registry” bill contains and convened a panel of public health experts to discuss whether and to what extent these laws advance public health goals or if they help consolidate the market for big tobacco companies while diverting attention from proven public-health strategies. The panel discussed whether there are important distinctions between the various proposals and laws, what they know about how these laws work in practice, what the public health implications of these bills are, and whether public health advocates should support or oppose these bills.
The webinar recording and slides are now available.