Adolescents sensitive to health messages in vaping prevention

Vaping prevention messages aimed at teens are most effective when they emphasize health harms, use health warnings, and avoid memes, hashtags and other “teen-centric” communication styles, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and published in the journal Tobacco Control.[1].

The purpose of the present study was to identify and test a broad range of vaping prevention advertisements used by federal, state, local, and nongovernmental agencies, examining how vaping prevention messages might affect adolescents' perceptions of vaping products.

Health risk-focused messages are more effective

Since the rise in teen use of vaping products, many state and local health departments have created their own prevention messages aimed at teens, as have national health agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In an online study of over 1,500 adolescents aged 13 to 17, seven vaping prevention campaigns randomly selected from over 200 campaigns were evaluated. Vaping prevention ads that clearly communicated health hazards, addiction risks, and ingredients were comparatively more effective. References to the environmental impact of vaping, flavors, or the tobacco industry's targeting of youth appeared less effective.

These results are consistent with findings from the emerging literature on vaping prevention messages. Message themes focusing on the chemical components of vaping products and the health consequences associated with vaping have been linked to greater perceived message effectiveness. In contrast, messages referencing flavors or social norms have been less successful to date.

Prevention messages should be similar for adolescents and adults

Vaping prevention campaigns that used and associated visuals that were ubiquitous on teens’ preferred social media platforms, such as animals, memes, foods, and bright colors or the use of hashtags, did not increase, and in many cases actually decreased, perceived message effectiveness. Messages that used youth-friendly language or attempted to “speak for” the teen all reduced message effectiveness. In contrast, messages that cited a specific study or used the term “you” were associated with greater perceived message effectiveness.

Furthermore, the results show that prevention messages using attractive imagery of the electronic device, associated with food and flavors, even seem to increase the appeal of vaping, especially for non-users. The authors conclude that prevention messages should be designed to associate vaping with negative, not positive, images.

Keywords: Vaping, prevention, health warnings, adolescents, social networks

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[1] Boynton MH, Sanzo N, Brothers W, et al Perceived effectiveness of objective elements of vaping prevention messages among adolescents Tobacco Control Published Online First: 09 May 2022. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057151

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