Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 26, Issue 01 | June 16, 2025

Original Research 
Electronic Cigarette Regulation Around the World: A Scoping Review on Public Health Challenges, Regulatory Approaches, and Policy Strategies 

Vitoria Borges Spinola1,2,3, Megan E. Roberts2, Celso Zilbovicius3, Tarsila Teixeira Vilhena Lopes4, Samara Jamile Mendes5
  1. Faculty of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 
  2. College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Ohio, United States of America
  3. Faculty of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil 
  4. Center for Higher Education Development in Health, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
  5. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil ​​

​Corresponding author:  [email protected] ​​​
Keywords: electronic nicotine delivery systems; government regulation; health care coordination and monitoring; public health​
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG260112

Executive Summary

Regulatory policies on electronic cigarettes vary significantly across different continents, reflecting regional differences in how the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes are perceived and prioritized. We recommend ongoing analysis of emerging evidence from all sources and the adoption of standardized practices that implement proven effective measures to achieve positive outcomes.

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Background header image courtesy of RAND
Vitoria Borges Spinola is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Promotion at the College of Public Health, Ohio State University. Vitoria focuses her research on public policy and behavior, with a focus on e-cigarette regulation, aiming to promote health and prevent harm among youth and vulnerable communities. She is also a specialist in Health Management and Economics at the College of Public Health and holds a DDS from the School of Dentistry, both at the University of São Paulo. Her mission is to blend her health background with innovative research to develop effective public health strategies and influence policies that benefit communities on a large scale. 
​
Megan E. Roberts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Promotion at the College of Public Health, Ohio State University. Her research focuses on tobacco use among historically marginalized populations—particularly adolescents and young adults, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals in rural areas. Her primary goal is to enhance understanding of the factors that contribute to tobacco initiation and tobacco-related health disparities, as well as to identify strategies for prevention. Much of her research explores tobacco regulatory science at local, state, and federal levels, focusing on policies such as retailer licensing and Tobacco 21. She employs a range of research methods, including longitudinal surveys, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), focus groups, and community mapping. 

Celso Zilbovicius is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Dentistry at the School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo (USP). He serves as a member of the Advisory Committee for the General Coordination of Oral Health at the Ministry of Health, a researcher at the Telehealth and Teledentistry Center (NUTES-SAITE-FOUSP) at the School of Dentistry, USP, and a volunteer researcher for the VIGIFLUOR project at the Collaborating Center of the Ministry of Health in Oral Health Surveillance (CECOL) at the School of Public Health, USP. He has expertise in the field of Dentistry, with an emphasis on Public Health, and focuses on the following areas: collective oral health, public health policies, dental education, public policies in higher education, and digital health. 

Tarsila Teixeira Vilhena Lopes is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Higher Education Development (CEDESS) at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). She serves as a faculty member in Public Health at Cruzeiro do Sul University (Unicsul) and is a tutor in the Public Health Specialization Course (CESP) at the University of São Paulo (2022-2023). She collaborated as faculty in the Social Sciences in Health course at the School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo (USP) (2016-2022). She participated in the State Coordination of the São Paulo Public Health Association (APSP) (2019-2021). Tarsila has experience in the field of dentistry, with an emphasis on Public Health, and her research interests include topics related to political formation, critical education, dentistry, social sciences, and collective oral health. 

Samara Jamile Mendes is a Faculty member at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of São Paulo (USP), specializing in Health Policy and Pharmaceutical Assistance. She holds a PhD in Sciences from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at USP (2020) and completed her postdoctoral studies in Pharmaceutical Assistance at Federal University of Santa Catarina (2023). She is a member of the Research Group on Pharmaceutical Policies and Services (UFSC) and a guest assistant professor at Lúrio University in Mozambique. Her experience spans Pharmacy and Public Health, with a focus on pharmaceutical assistance, access to medicines in Brazil, primary health care, health assessment, health planning and management, and their applications in pharmaceutical assistance; qualitative research, health policy training, and continuing education.

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