Bill Overview
Title: Preventing Vape Use Act
Description: This bill requires electronic nicotine delivery systems (e.g., e-cigarettes and vape pens) to successfully undergo Food and Drug Administration (FDA) premarket review before being introduced into interstate commerce for commercial distribution. It also requires the FDA to order a mandatory recall of any such systems that have not successfully undergone premarket review.
Sponsors: Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-11]
Target Audience
Population: People who use electronic nicotine delivery systems
Estimated Size: 13000000
- The global vaping population includes all individuals who use vaping products around the world.
- The vaping industry is worth billions globally and involves many people from manufacturers to retailers and vapers.
- Smoking and vaping statistics suggest varying usage prevalence in different regions, with particularly high use in places like the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Reasoning
- The Preventing Vape Use Act targets the U.S. vaping population, which is estimated at 13 million people. Within this group, young adults and teenagers are significant subsets, as this demographic has seen rising vape usage. Any policies aimed at regulating these products would likely focus heavily on public health outcomes, particularly for youth.
- Due to budget limitations and the broad scope of regulatory needs, the policy should prioritize enforcement and compliance checks, particularly for products already widely distributed without FDA approval. This can focus resources where they are most impactful.
- Simulating interviews across various user types can provide insights into the diverse impacts of the policy. Given that potential impacts range from health benefits and quitting smoking to economic impacts on businesses reliant on vaping product sales, it's important to capture a wide array of user experiences.
Simulated Interviews
Student (California)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think regulating vape products is a good idea because it might help some of my friends who have started vaping too much.
- If the products are safer, I’d feel less worried about using them occasionally.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 2 |
College Student (New York)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I’m worried about having fewer choices for vaping, and the prices might go up if only a few get approved.
- But hopefully, it’ll mean better products and maybe help me quit eventually.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 4 |
Healthcare Professional (Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is an excellent step toward protecting our youth from harmful substances.
- I support the stringent measures as they might reduce the prevalence of vaping related illnesses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 7 |
Entrepreneur (Illinois)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might put my shop at risk if we're unable to stock approved products.
- I'm worried about costs and losing customers, but safety is important too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
Teacher (Florida)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm relieved as a parent to see tighter control over what my kids could be using.
- However, education is also essential alongside these regulations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
High School Student (Ohio)
Age: 18 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the policy is both good and bad. It could make it harder for me to get lower quality products, which is safer.
- However, it might drive people to buy from unregulated sources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 2 |
Software Engineer (Washington)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe this policy will make vapes safer, which is a plus for my health-focused lifestyle.
- I hope this doesn't limit the flavors too much, as they help me stay off cigarettes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 9 |
Retail Manager (Georgia)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope the policy ensures we have safe products to use occasionally.
- I'm worried that costs might increase if fewer products are approved.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Retired (Nevada)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems like a step back if it limits harm-reduction options for former smokers like me.
- Safety is paramount, but I hope it doesn’t eliminate the products that help reduce harm.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Doctor (Michigan)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I advocate for this policy because it can potentially lead to less youth access to harmful products.
- However, the policy must be coupled with educational initiatives and support systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $73000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $76000000)
Year 5: $58000000 (Low: $34000000, High: $81000000)
Year 10: $63000000 (Low: $37000000, High: $87000000)
Year 100: $78000000 (Low: $46000000, High: $107000000)
Key Considerations
- The potential impact on small businesses and retailers who may struggle to meet new regulatory requirements.
- The legal landscape and potential challenges to FDA's authority in enforcing this law.
- The adaptability of manufacturers to align their products with FDA standards in a timely manner.
- Public health benefits versus economic costs involved in implementing the regulatory changes.