Policy makers' perspectives on tobacco control advocates' roles in regulation development

Abstract

Objective: To identify, from policy makers' perspectives, strategies that enhance tobacco control advocates' effectiveness in the regulatory arena.

Design: Key informant interview component of a comparative case study of regulatory agencies in the USA.

Subjects: Policy makers involved in the development of four regulatory tobacco control policies (three state and one federal).

Methods: Interviews of policy makers, field notes, and deliberation minutes were coded inductively.

Results: Policy makers considered both written commentary and public testimony when developing tobacco control regulations. They triaged written commentary based upon whether the document was from a peer reviewed journal, a summary of research evidence, or from a source considered credible. They coped with in-person testimony by avoiding being diverted from the scientific evidence, and by assessing the presenters' credibility. Policy makers suggested that tobacco control advocates should: present science in a format that is well organised and easily absorbed; engage scientific experts to participate in the regulatory process; and lobby to support the tobacco control efforts of the regulatory agency.

Conclusions: There is an important role for tobacco control advocates in the policy development process in regulatory agencies.