Open AccessClosing Perspective on the Special Issue on JUUL
Author(s) -
Karl Fagerström
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of health behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.591
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1945-7359
pISSN - 1087-3244
DOI - 10.5993/ajhb.45.3.13
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , harm reduction , appeal , harm , theme (computing) , unintended consequences , smoking cessation , closing (real estate) , psychology , key (lock) , public health , public relations , sociology , medicine , political science , social psychology , computer science , nursing , law , computer security , pathology , artificial intelligence , operating system
Objective: This article provides an overview of this theme issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior dedicated to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), with a special focus on JUUL. Methods: The author summarizes key findings from included papers and offers an evaluative perspective on ENDS as tools for smoking cessation versus the prospect of their appeal to previous non-smokers. Results: Delineation of certain metrics (eg, defining who is a smoker) and clarification about an acceptable level of unintended consequences weighed against harm reduction confound conclusions about the public health role of ENDS/JUUL. Conclusion: Until agreement on key definitions and performance of well-controlled studies, a system that promotes ENDS/JUUL use among smokers but discourages their use by never-smokers is a regulatory challenge.