Heated tobacco and nicotine pouches promoted in teen magazines

Several public health organizations from ten countries have called on media groups Hearst and Condé Nast, urging them to stop promoting heated tobacco and nicotine products to young people. These entities, publishers of influential magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Vogue and GQ, are accused of disseminating content that normalizes the use of these substances among a teenage audience.

The promotions were published online in many countries and regions, including Spain, Eastern Europe, Mexico, Latin America and the United States[1].

In response to these promotions, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, along with Vital Strategies, the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control, the John Hopkins School, the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, and the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, sent letters to Hearst and Condé Nast urging them to immediately end their partnership with Philip Morris.

Sponsored content directly advertising the IQOS device

According to evidence collected by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Glamour, ELLE and Esquire have partnered with Philip Morris in many countries to promote the IQOS heated tobacco device as a fashionable lifestyle accessory. This promotion is carried out on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram as well as through sponsored articles directly on the magazines’ websites.

Paid content advertising tobacco and nicotine products is prohibited by current ad policies of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. So tobacco companies pay influencers to post about their products to circumvent existing regulations.

Online advertising for tobacco products such as IQOS is illegal in Spain, where many paid ads are carried directly by magazines, according to the letter's signatories.

Magazines are presenting these tobacco products as fashionable lifestyle accessories in countries around the world, and they are spreading this message to a large audience of teenagers and young adults. Philip Morris launched IQOS in Japan 10 years ago, and the product is now widely available in many countries. It is being marketed intensively on social media to and by young people. Its launch in the United States is imminent.

Zyn nicotine pouches touted as 'trendy gifts' for young girls

In the United States, paid advertisements for Zyn nicotine pouches were associated with magazine articles such as "The 34 Best Gifts for Teenage Girls" and "The Best Christmas Movies for Teens," on the websites of Seventeen and Cosmopolitan.

ZYN pouches are heavily promoted in the United States. They have quickly gained popularity among adolescents, becoming the second most commonly used nicotine product among middle and high school students after vaping devices. A study published in Substance Use & Misuse found that many advertisements for nicotine pouches aired on prime-time television and associated the products with young models, animation, and music. These advertisements also emphasized the flavors available and themes of self-expression and social acceptance.[2].

On TikTok and Instagram, influencers are also promoting nicotine as the "original Ozempic" and are hijacking Zyn brand nicotine pouches with the hashtag "O-zyn-pic" to refer to the anti-diabetic drug Ozempic. This treatment, used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, has been diverted from its primary use and is being promoted on social media for rapid weight loss. It is currently in short supply in many countries. Nicotine pouches are thus presented as inexpensive alternatives (5$ per box of 15 pouches) and available everywhere[3].

A 2023 study by CTFK found that manufacturers British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris use at least 56 social media accounts in at least 45 countries to directly promote their products, despite META Group’s advertising policies banning tobacco and nicotine ads. The report shows that ads promoting the two manufacturers’ products were viewed more than 3.4 billion times on social media, and that 40% of the audience was under 25 and 16 million were under 18.

©Tobacco Free Generation

AE

[1] Communicated, Global Public Health Advocates from 10 Countries Demand Hearst and Conde Nast Stop Promoting Tobacco and Nicotine to Kids, CTFK, published December 19, 2024, accessed December 20, 2024

[2] Generation without tobacco, United States: TV ads for vaping and nicotine pouches targeted at youth, published October 1, 2024, accessed December 20, 2024

[3][3] Tobacco-free generation, United States: nicotine sachets promoted for weight loss, published on May 23, 2024, consulted on December 20, 2024