Tobacco promotion restriction policies on social media.

Tobacco promotion is prolific on social media, with each platform setting their own restrictions on tobacco promotion and sales. We evaluated the policies related to tobacco product promotion and sales on 11 sites that are popular with youth in May 2021: Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, Tumblr, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube. Nine of the 11 sites prohibited for tobacco products.

Lucy-Novel Flavored Nicotine Gum, Lozenges, and Pouches: Are They Misleading Consumers?

The packaging and marketing of nicotine gums, lozenges, and pouches can influence users' perceptions about which products are evidence-based for tobacco cessation and which are designed for nicotine maintenance-which could keep people nicotine dependent. Lucy, a company that produces flavored nicotine gums, lozenges, and pouches, could cause confusion by mimicking the packaging of traditional chewing gum and using similar marketing for its approved smoking cessation products and non-approved products. This commentary describes Lucy's marketing practices that could prolong nicotine dependence rather than aid cessation.

E-cigarette brands and social media influencers on Instagram: a social network analysis.

Background: Exposure to visual posts featuring e-cigarette products on social media is associated with increased e-cigarette use among US adolescents. Instagram is the largest source of e-cigarette social media marketing, where influencers-for example, bloggers, brand ambassadors-post promotional materials. This study analysed the network of e-cigarette brands and influencers on Instagram, characterising the most central players in e-cigarette social media marketing.

Vaping and COVID-19: Insights for Public Health and Clinical Care from Twitter.

This study describes key topics of discussions on Twitter at the intersection of vaping and COVID-19 and documents public reactions to announcements from authoritative health agencies. Twitter posts containing vaping and COVID-19-related terms were collected from 1 December 2019 to 3 May 2020 ( = 23,103 posts). Text classifiers and unsupervised machine learning were used to identify topics in posts.

Leading Topics in Twitter Discourse on JUUL and Puff Bar Products: Content Analysis.

Background: In response to the recent government restrictions, flavored JUUL products, which are rechargeable closed-system electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are no longer available for sale. However, disposable closed-system products such as the flavored Puff Bar e-cigarette continues to be available. If e-cigarette consumers simply switch between products during the current government restrictions limited to 1 type of product over another, then such restrictions would be less effective.

Effect of a hypothetical modified risk tobacco product claim on heated tobacco product use intention and perceptions in young adults.

Introduction: Modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) claims for heated tobacco products (HTPs) that convey reduced exposure compared with conventional cigarettes may promote product initiation and transition among young people. We assessed the effects of a hypothetical MRTP claim for HTPs on young adults' intention and perceptions of using HTPs and whether these effects differed by their current cigarette and e-cigarette use.

Methods: We embedded a randomised between-subjects experiment into a web-based survey administered among a cohort of 2354 Southern California young adults (aged 20-23) in 2020.

Twitter Surveillance at the Intersection of the Triangulum.

Introduction: A holistic public health surveillance approach can help capture the public's tobacco and marijuana-related attitudes and behaviors. Using publicly available data from Twitter, this is one of the first studies to describe key topics of discussions related to each intersection (e-cigarette, combustible tobacco, and marijuana) of the Triangulum framework.

Aims And Methods: Twitter posts (n = 999 447) containing marijuana, e-cigarette, and combustible tobacco terms were collected from January 1, 2018 to December 23, 2019.

Categorizing IQOS-Related Twitter Discussions.

(1) Background: The heated tobacco product IQOS, by Philip Morris International, is now available in over 55 countries, including the United States. Social media sites such as Twitter are often used to promote or discuss tobacco products, though prior research has not examined how IQOS is presented on Twitter. (2) Methods: This study collected and categorized Twitter conversations involving IQOS.

Exposure to E-Cigarette Product Placement in Music Videos Is Associated With Vaping Among Young Adults.

Background: The prevalence of electronic-cigarette (e-cigarette) product placement in music videos is on the rise and currently unregulated. This promotional activity is concerning given the popularity of music videos among young adults.

Aims: We examined associations between self-reported levels of exposure to music videos with any e-cigarette product placement or imagery and susceptibility to use e-cigarettes and e-cigarette use.

Retail Marketing of Menthol Cigarettes in Los Angeles, California: a Challenge to Health Equity.

Introduction: Sales of menthol cigarettes continue to increase, accounting for a third of the US cigarette market. Retail marketing of menthol cigarettes is a contributing factor to tobacco-related health disparities. To inform regulation to address associated disparities, we examined retail marketing strategies for menthol cigarettes and their features and characteristics in relation to neighborhood racial/ethnic composition.

#FlavorsSaveLives: An Analysis of Twitter Posts Opposing Flavored E-cigarette Bans.

Background: Starting in 2019 policies restricting the availability of flavored e-cigarette products were proposed or implemented in the United States to curb vaping by youth. People took to Twitter to voice their opposition, referencing the phrase "Flavors Save Lives." This study documented the emerging themes pertaining to "Flavors Saves Lives" over a 12-month period.

Electronic Cigarette Product Placement and Imagery in Popular Music Videos.

Introduction: Given the increasing use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among young adults, it is crucial to identify possible sources of e-cigarette marketing exposure in media popular among young adults. However few studies document e-cigarette product placement (eg, visible logo, branded merchandise or gear such as a branded hat or shirt) in music videos. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of e-cigarette product placement and imagery in popular music videos.

Identifying message content to reduce vaping: Results from online message testing trials in young adult tobacco users.

Introduction: Young adults' e-cigarette use is associated with perceptions that e-cigarettes are less harmful or addictive than cigarettes, socially acceptable, and appealing. This study developed and tested vaping educational messages addressing these factors: 1) Harm Perceptions, 2) Addictiveness, 3) Social Use, and 4) Flavors.

Methods: Two message trials were conducted in U.

Vape Shop Employees: Do They Act as Smoking Cessation Counselors?

Introduction: This study examined smoking cessation advice offered by vape shop employees, as well as their perceived awareness of vaping research.

Aims And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 121 vape shops in the Greater Los Angeles area of Southern California in four multiethnic communities (Hispanic/Latino, African American, Korean/Asian, and non-Hispanic White). A 35-minute interview assessed the employee's tobacco product use, perceptions of vaping research, and experience advising customers to quit cigarette smoking.

"I'm using cigarettes to quit JUUL": An analysis of Twitter posts about JUUL cessation.

Introduction: JUUL, a small pod-based vaping device that aerosolizes nicotine salts, is popular among adolescents and young adults. Because of JUUL's high nicotine content, JUUL users can become nicotine dependent very quickly and have difficulty quitting. Nicotine-dependent JUUL users might turn to Twitter to seek advice, share their cessation struggles, or report their success rather than confiding in friends or family.

Insights on electronic cigarette products from reviews on the Reddit forum.

Introduction: E-cigarette devices and their component parts are continuously evolving. Little is known about the product design features that may increase the appeal of e-cigarette use, ultimately affecting continuation of use. Product reviews have been described as useful in helping to forecast the popularity of products, and online reviews have become an important channel of product information.

Digital media use and subsequent cannabis and tobacco product use initiation among adolescents.

Background: Digital media engagement, such as browsing the internet or social media posting, may be associated with cannabis and tobacco product use initiation among adolescents. Whether certain digital media exposure confers greater - or reduced - risk for specific cannabis or tobacco products is unknown.

Methods: Adolescents completed surveys on digital media and substance use every 6 months from 2015 to 2017 (4 waves).

E-cigarette Product Characteristics and Subsequent Frequency of Cigarette Smoking.

Background: There is a dearth of evidence regarding the association of use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) with certain product characteristics and adolescent and young adult risk of unhealthy tobacco use patterns (eg, frequency of combustible cigarette smoking), which is needed to inform the regulation of e-cigarettes.

Methods: Data were collected via an online survey of participants in the Southern California Children's Health Study from 2015 to 2016 (baseline) and 2016 to 2017 (follow-up) ( = 1312). We evaluated the association of binary categories of 3 nonmutually exclusive characteristics of the e-cigarette used most frequently with the number of cigarettes smoked in the past 30 days at 1-year follow-up.

E-cigarette and cigarette purchasing among young adults before and after implementation of California's tobacco 21 policy.

Background: Tobacco 21 (T21) laws, which raise the minimum legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21, have been proposed and implemented in states and cities across the USA. However, limited data are available on the effect of T21 laws on youth tobacco purchasing behaviours and access to tobacco products.

Methods: Participants in a population-based prospective cohort in southern California completed questionnaires before (n=1609, age=18-19 y) and after (n=1502, age=19-20 y) T21 was implemented in California (June 2016).

Do tobacco industry websites target content to specific demographic groups?

Background: Prior research has not examined whether tobacco brand websites vary content based on audience demographics. This study explored whether marketing content on tobacco brand websites varied by user ethnicity, gender or age group.

Methods: Participants (n = 32) were adult smokers, representing equal numbers of eight demographic groups: user ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, African American, Asian), gender (women, men) and age (age 21-35, age 36+).

Instagram's #JUUL: who's posting what.

Exposure to e-cigarette (e-cig) marketing through traditional and online media can increase the risk of e-cig use among adolescents. Though popular e-cig brand JUUL has scaled back its social media promotions, outside vendors and individual users create posts about JUUL unregulated. Instagram's image-focus offers an opportunity to document promotions that may appeal to adolescents.

Pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at vulnerable populations: A review of the literature.

Introduction: We reviewed research literature on pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns targeting eight vulnerable populations to determine key findings and research gaps. Results can inform tobacco policy and control efforts and the design of public education campaigns for these groups.

Methods: Five journal databases in medicine, communication, and science, were used to identify 8875 peer-reviewed, original articles in English, published in the period 2004-2018.