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E-cigarette manufacturers use targeted marketing to lure in young adults, says researcher

1 min read Alcohol and tobacco
Research led by Minji Kim, assistant professor of health promotion, education, and behaviour at the University of South Carolina, has found that marketing strategies used by e-cigarette manufacturers increase the likelihood of uptake among otherwise low-risk young adults. These widespread but under-researched strategies use psychographic targeting to appeal to new users based on lifestyles, attitudes and values. Kim published the results in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Targeting youth

Kim said, “Young adults who currently don’t use tobacco and nicotine products are susceptible to these advertisements, which may result in the initiation of e-cigarette use for individuals who were otherwise less likely to use these products. To address this increased risk, stricter marketing regulations for emerging tobacco and nicotine products are needed to reduce marketing exposure.”

Previous research has shown that young adulthood (ages 18 – 29) is a critical time for both initiation and cessation of tobacco/nicotine use. Steady increases in e-cigarette uptake for this age group correspond with their exposure to e-cigarette marketing. Further, e-cigarette use among young adults also predicts smoking initiation.

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