Vaping regulation is a global challenge. We discuss evidence on health risks, smoking impacts and policy goals, and advocate for pragmatic, proportionate regulation that reduces smoking harms while minimizing youth uptake and unintended consequences.
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J.B. has received (most recently in 2018) unrestricted research funding from Pfizer and J&J, who manufacture smoking cessation medications. L.S. has received honoraria for talks, unrestricted research grants and travel expenses to attend meetings and workshops from manufactures of smoking cessation medications (Pfizer; J&J) and has acted as paid reviewer for grant awarding bodies and as a paid consultant for health care companies. N.A.R. has received research grants and, in the past, consulting fees from Achieve Life Sciences, which has an investigational smoking cessation medication. She receives royalties for writing about cigarette smoking and electronic cigarettes for an online medical textbook (UpToDate). C.B. received honoraria in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for co-chairing a smoking cessation leaders network among Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries and travel support to attend these meetings, from Kenvue, who manufactures smoking cessation medications. All authors declare that they have never had financial links with tobacco companies, e-cigarette manufacturers or their representatives.
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Jackson, S.E., Shahab, L., McNeill, A. et al. To regulate vaping we need pragmatic, evidence-based policy. Nat Hum Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-026-02461-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-026-02461-0
