According to a recent public health study published this month in the BMJ medical journal “Tobacco Control,” young people who are more familiar with the e-cigarette marketing industry are more likely to develop a negative attitude towards e-cigarettes compared to those who are not familiar with the industry.
The marketing tactics of e-cigarettes, such as hiring social media influencers, have expanded upon the traditional cigarette advertising of the 1970s (such as using models and hosting smoking events).
Researchers found that awareness of marketing strategies by the e-cigarette industry only strengthened the anti-smoking attitudes of 1,329 young people aged 18-30 who had never used tobacco products and were considered “vulnerable to the influence of e-cigarettes.
The study subjects indicated during the survey that they would determine the “e-cigarette audience” based on their responses to questions such as “Do you think you will start using e-cigarettes soon?” and “If your close friend offers you an e-cigarette, would you use it?
The findings of this study also suggest that among the e-cigarette patient population in the United States, individuals of Hispanic and African-American descent, as well as young people with an annual income of $75,000 or less, are the most vulnerable to the influence of e-cigarettes. They tend to have less knowledge about the e-cigarette industry and exhibit a more distant attitude towards e-cigarettes.
Finally, data shows that approximately one-tenth (around 3.4 million people) of young adults aged 18-24 in the United States are using e-cigarettes. According to the American Lung Association, the chemicals produced by e-cigarettes may potentially lead to lung and heart diseases. Additionally, US health officials have stated that e-cigarettes may also have long-term effects on the brain, such as mood disorders, impaired impulse control, and addiction to nicotine, all of which pose detrimental effects on overall health.
