Young people highly exposed to vaping advertising

According to a study conducted by the George Institute for Global Health and published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases[1], 85 % people, particularly adolescents and young adults, in India, China, Australia and the United Kingdom are exposed to advertising for vaping products. Exposure was most common on social media platforms, in vape shops, supermarkets and petrol stations.

Researchers surveyed more than 4,000 people aged 15 to 30 in Australia, China, India and the United Kingdom about their tobacco and e-cigarette use, whether friends and family members vape, and their exposure to vaping product advertising.

High exposure to advertising despite ban in force in all four countries

Despite advertising restrictions on vaping products in all four countries studied, a large majority of adolescents and young adults reported exposure to e-cigarette advertising. Social media and advertising in and around vape shops and other retailers appear to be the primary venues for exposure.

Online, exposure to advertising was more frequent on most social media platforms compared to general internet use (browsing websites of any type). For example, 50 % of Chinese and 39 % of Australians, Indians and British respectively reported seeing e-cigarette ads on Douyin[2] and Instagram, compared to 29,% on websites. For point-of-sale ads, exposure was most common in vaping stores (48%) and supermarkets/convenience stores/gas stations (42%).

Social media algorithms are promoting vaping ads to consumers

Overall, those who had never used vaping products were significantly less likely to have been exposed to vaping product advertising than current vaping product users, particularly on social media.

According to the study's lead author, Simone Pettigrew, it's possible that e-cigarette users are more receptive to advertising than non-users, or that social media algorithms target vapers to serve ads, leading to increased exposure among current users. She added that " For Each additional exposure to a vaping ad in a new location or medium, whether in a physical location or on a social media platform, the likelihood of using e-cigarettes increased ".

The difficulty of monitoring digital media

As part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the uptake of vaping among minors and non-smokers, the World Health Organization recommends banning all forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of vaping products. However, a growing body of research shows that despite existing regulatory frameworks, young people are regularly exposed to advertising for new tobacco and nicotine products, particularly on digital platforms. Digital forms of promotion of nicotine products are particularly difficult to monitor and control, and effective legislation would need to address the cross-border dimension of advertising.

©Tobacco Free Generation

AE

3[1] Pettigrew S, Santos JA, Pinho-Gomes A, Li Y, Jones A. Exposure to e-cigarette advertising and young people's use of e-cigarettes: A four-country study. Tobacco Induced Diseases. 2023;21(October):141. doi:10.18332/tid/172414.

[2] Chinese version of TikTok