A New Study Shows Link Between E-Cigarette Ads And Use Among Youth

A New Study Shows Link Between E-Cigarette Ads And Use Among Youth

ArticlePress release
Health & Wellness
Diseases & Conditions
Contributed byLester Fahrner, MDApr 13, 2020

A new study shows link between e-cigarette ads and use among youth

Reducing exposure to ads critical to prevent youth e-cigarette use

Section 508-compliant PDF

There is a link between exposure to e-cigarette advertisements and the use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the first study to assess the link between exposure to e-cigarette advertising and current e-cigarette use, and it concludes that efforts to reduce youth exposure to advertising are critical to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes as well as other tobacco products.

The study, published in the April 2016 edition of the journal Pediatrics

external icon

, assessed current (past 30-day) use of e-cigarettes and exposure to e-cigarette advertising in four different types of media: retail stores, the internet, TV/movies, and magazines/newspapers. The National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) is a school-based, self-administered questionnaire given to more than 22,000 middle and high school students in 2014.

Analyzing data from the 2014 NYTS, CDC researchers found that the greater the exposure to e-cigarette advertisements among middle and high school students, the greater the odds of their e-cigarette use. As noted in CDC’s Jan. 5, 2016, Vital Signs report on e-cigarette advertising exposure among youth, spending on e-cigarette advertising rose from $6.4 million in 2011 to an estimated $115 million in 2014.

During the same time, current e-cigarette use among youth soared; from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 13.4 in 2014 among high school students, and from 0.6 percent in 2011 to 3.9 percent in 2014 among middle school students. In 2014, e-cigarettes became the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, surpassing conventional cigarettes.

“Kids should not use any type of tobacco product, including e-cigarettes,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Exposure to e-cigarette advertising is associated with youth e-cigarette use – and that is concerning to me as CDC Director, as a doctor, and as a parent.”

Protecting young people

States and localities can consider strategies to reduce youth exposure to e-cigarette advertising and marketing which include:

Limiting tobacco product sales to facilities that never admit youth,

Restricting the number of stores that sell tobacco products and how close they can be to schools,

Limits on internet sales of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products

“Many of the ads we’re seeing for e-cigarettes today – that rely on sex, independence and rebellion – look eerily like the ads that were used to sell cigarettes and other conventional tobacco products for generations,” said Brian King, Ph.D., deputy director for research translation in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Any tobacco use by youth is dangerous to their health. The unrestricted marketing of e-cigarettes and dramatic increases in their use by youth could reverse decades of progress in preventing tobacco use among youth.”

FDA has regulatory authority over cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. The agency is finalizing a rule that, if finalized as proposed, will bring additional tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, hookahs, and some or all cigars under that same authority. Regulating the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products – coupled with proven population-based strategies – can reduce youth tobacco use and initiation. These strategies include funding tobacco control programs at CDC-recommended levels, increasing prices of tobacco products, implementing and enforcing comprehensive smoke-free laws, and sustaining hard-hitting tobacco cessation and prevention media campaigns.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Was this article helpful

On the Article

Lester Fahrner, MD picture
Approved by

Lester Fahrner, MD

Chief Medical Officer, DoveMed Team

0 Comments

Please log in to post a comment.

Related Articles

Test Your Knowledge

Asked by users

Related Centers

Loading

Related Specialties

Loading card

Related Physicians

Related Procedures

Related Resources

Join DoveHubs

and connect with fellow professionals

Related Directories

Who we are

At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.

© 2023 DoveMed. All rights reserved. It is not the intention of DoveMed to provide specific medical advice. DoveMed urges its users to consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. Always call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you have a medical emergency!