Study Shows Advertising Has a Strong Influence on Teen Vaping

On September 17, news reported that a recent study published in the journal Child Science indicated the necessity of establishing advertising restrictions to curb youth vaping.

The study, titled "Marketing of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Initiation Among Youth and Young Adults," was conducted by researchers at the University of Texas. The data showed that minors aged 12 to 17 who reported remembering e-cigarette advertisements were nearly twice as likely to start smoking within two and a half years.

A 2018 study titled "Point-of-Sale Marketing Predicts Youth Use of Cigars and E-Cigarettes in Texas" reached similar conclusions. The researchers of the latter study utilized the Texas Youth Tobacco Advertising and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS), a large representative study involving students in grades 6, 8, and 10 from 79 middle and high schools across five counties in Texas.

The researchers also tracked 2,288 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 2,423 young adults aged 18 to 29 who had never reported such use.

Similar to the current study, the results indicated that students recalled advertisements for e-cigarettes and cigar products, predicting increased susceptibility to use across all types of stores. Young people who had seen television advertisements were 30% more likely to use e-cigarettes.

The researchers concluded that advertising still has a significant influence and plays an important role in youth tobacco use behavior, urging lawmakers to regulate the marketing and advertising of such products accordingly.