UK May Ban Influencers From Promoting E-Cigarettes on Social Video Platforms

Today's news, April 18: According to foreign media reports today, after a surge in the number of videos on TikTok and Instagram, social media influencers may be banned from promoting e-cigarettes to teenagers.

UK government ministers are gathering evidence to determine how to prevent teenagers from using e-cigarettes, amid growing concern that more young people are becoming addicted to nicotine through these products. A ban on fruit flavors and packaging that may appeal to children is already under consideration.

TikTok does not allow advertising that promotes e-cigarettes or other tobacco products on its platform, but there is growing concern about the widespread use of e-cigarettes by influencers.

Professor Andrew Bush of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London urged ministers to push for a ban on colorful, appealing e-cigarette packaging.

He also encouraged them to examine how these devices are promoted on social media. Professor Bush told the Mirror that it is worrying that people with huge influence over children are promoting e-cigarettes to them on social media.

"I don't remember nicotine gum ever appearing in attractive ads with a beautiful woman using it. The industry is funding these people, these so-called influencers, most likely by giving them free e-cigarettes. They all know tobacco is on the way out and want e-cigarettes to be the next big thing," he said.

Earlier, a Mirror investigation revealed today that shops are illegally selling nicotine e-cigarettes to children.

A 13-year-old undercover shopper was able to buy a large number of e-cigarettes in a single day—containing as much nicotine as 100 cigarettes.

Health minister Neil O'Brien said last week that the government is specifically calling for evidence on youth e-cigarette use.

The Conservative MP said: This will explore a range of issues, including how we can ensure compliance, review the appearance and characteristics of e-cigarettes, marketing and promotion of e-cigarettes, and the role of social media, which is crucial. It will also seek a better understanding of the e-cigarette market, looking at issues such as the price of low-cost products and disposable products.

Conservative MP Caroline Johnson, who is also a consultant pediatrician, recently said ministers need to pursue a large-scale, multi-pronged crackdown on youth e-cigarette use and align advertising rules with those for smoking.

"Influencers on social media are also an issue we need to monitor closely—although designing effective regulation to stop this form of marketing will require the right balance," she said.

There is evidence that underage e-cigarette use is rising at an alarming rate. According to ASH, the proportion doubled last year, with 7% of surveyed 11- to 17-year-olds in 2022 identified as "current users," up from 3.3% the previous year.

There is also concern about the rise of illegally sized black-market e-cigarettes. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has warned that about one-third of e-cigarette products on shelves violate UK law. The illegal e-cigarettes purchased by our undercover child contained five times the nicotine of legal e-cigarettes, while costing only twice as much.

Organized crime groups are believed to smuggle illegal e-cigarettes worth £500 million into the UK each year. Most are manufactured in China and designed for markets where larger, more powerful e-cigarettes are legal, such as the United States.