MMA Board Approves Policies on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Social Media

March 19, 2026

The MMA Board of Trustees adopted two new policies at its March 16 meeting – one on electronic nicotine delivery systems and health, and the other on social media use and youth mental health. Both policies came out of the MMA's Public Health Committee and were voted on by members via The Pulse.  

The electronic nicotine delivery systems and health policy urges the MMA to:  

1. Advocate for the prohibition of delivery sales, distribution, and non-sale distribution of electronic cigarettes (including deliveries to fulfill orders placed by mail, phone, online) through the U.S. Postal Service or any other public or private postal service unless the age of the product purchaser is verified as 21 years or older at both time of purchase and delivery. Additionally, the container must be conspicuously labeled with “CONTAINS TOBACCO PRODUCTS: SIGNATURE OF PERSON 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY,” as well as the health risks that arise from the use of vaping products. 

2. Support the prohibition of the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and flavor enhancers. 

3. Recognize the use of e-cigarettes and vaping as an urgent public health epidemic and work with relevant stakeholders to counteract the marketing and use of addictive e-cigarette and vaping devices, including but not limited to bans and strict restrictions on marketing to minors under the age of 21. These restrictions aim to protect the youth and other vulnerable and marginalized communities who are disparately affected by this public health crisis. 

4. Support efforts to reduce youth access to e-cigarette and vape products by supporting compliance checks (at least quarterly) on establishments that sell vaping and e-cigarette products in order to hold establishments who sell to underage youth legally responsible. 

5. Support the usage of health disclaimers in social media posts that model the usage of vaping or other e-cigarette or tobacco products. These health disclaimers, similar to the ones that highlighted factually inaccurate social media posts during the pandemic, will be present in any posts that are reported to contain speech or behaviors related to vaping product usage. 

6. Encourage physicians to educate themselves about electronic nicotine delivery systems, including vapes. Physicians should counsel patients who use e-cigarettes and have children at home on the harmful effects of their use on anyone living with them, including children. 

7. Support research into the long-term health effects of vaping on youth and adults. The MMA encourages funding for research studies that investigate how vaping and other electronic tobacco products might be modified to facilitate cessation of use, including regulating or eliminating nicotine or other harmful or carcinogenic additives such as formaldehyde and nitrosamines. 

8. Encourage efforts to improve undergraduate and graduate medical curriculum content regarding the relation between the use of vape and other e-cigarette products and adverse health effects. Physicians-in-training (medical students and residents) are also encouraged to screen early for vaping and other e-cigarette use during clinical experiences, allowing for earlier intervention in vaping-related illness. 

On The Pulse, 99% of members voted in favor of this policy. 

The social media and youth mental health policy: 

1. Urges physicians to 1) educate themselves about social media; 2) be prepared to counsel patients and/or their guardians about the potential risks and harms of social media; and 3) consider expanding clinical interviews to inquire about social media use. 

2. Encourages further clinical, epidemiological, and interdisciplinary research on the impact of social media on health. 

3. Supports technology and social media companies to provide the public with data transparency, including access to anonymized platform-level data for qualified independent research. 

4. Supports raising awareness among physicians, educators, and the public on digital media literacy and the health effects of social media. 

5. Supports statewide public health campaigns promoting age-appropriate, healthy social media use and media literacy for youth and caregivers. 

6. Encourages the inclusion of digital literacy and online safety education in school health curricula, developed in collaboration with medical and mental health professionals. 

7. Recognizes that the relative risks and benefits of social media may depend on individual differences (e.g., social media engagement, pre-existing traits, and environment). 

8. Supports legislative, regulatory, and associated initiatives that, at a minimum, provide youth with strong data privacy protections, require platforms to be designed to align with child development, and provide transparency into the potential harms posed by platforms to young people and any steps taken to mitigate those harms. 

On The Pulse, 97% of members voted in favor of this policy.