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Promotion of E-Cigarettes on TikTok and Regulatory Considerations

Author

Listed:
  • Jonine Jancey

    (Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Tama Leaver

    (Internet Studies, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Katharina Wolf

    (School of Marketing, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Becky Freeman

    (School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia)

  • Kevin Chai

    (School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Stella Bialous

    (School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA)

  • Marilyn Bromberg

    (UWA Law School, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia)

  • Phoebe Adams

    (Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Meghan Mcleod

    (Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Renee N. Carey

    (School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

  • Kahlia McCausland

    (Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia)

Abstract

E-cigarettes are promoted extensively on TikTok and other social media platforms. Platform policies to restrict e-cigarette promotion seem insufficient and are poorly enforced. This paper aims to understand how e-cigarettes are being promoted on TikTok and provide insights into the effectiveness of current TikTok policies. Seven popular hashtag-based keywords were used to identify TikTok accounts and associated videos related to e-cigarettes. Posts were independently coded by two trained coders. Collectively, the 264 videos received 2,470,373 views, 166,462 likes and 3426 comments. The overwhelming majority of videos (97.7%) portrayed e-cigarettes positively, and these posts received 98.7% of the total views and 98.2% of the total likes. A total of 69 posts (26.1%) clearly violated TikTok’s own content policy. The findings of the current study suggest that a variety of predominantly pro-vaping content is available on TikTok. Current policies and moderation processes appear to be insufficient in restricting the spread of pro-e-cigarette content on TikTok, putting predominantly young users at potential risk of e-cigarette use.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonine Jancey & Tama Leaver & Katharina Wolf & Becky Freeman & Kevin Chai & Stella Bialous & Marilyn Bromberg & Phoebe Adams & Meghan Mcleod & Renee N. Carey & Kahlia McCausland, 2023. "Promotion of E-Cigarettes on TikTok and Regulatory Considerations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-10, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:10:p:5761-:d:1142594
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brienna N. Rutherford & Tianze Sun & Carmen C. W. Lim & Jack Chung & Brandon Cheng & Lily Davidson & Calvert Tisdale & Janni Leung & Daniel Stjepanović & Jason P. Connor & Gary C. K. Chan, 2022. "Changes in Viewer Engagement and Accessibility of Popular Vaping Videos on TikTok: A 12-Month Prospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-9, January.
    2. Makayla Morales & Alexis Fahrion & Shannon Lea Watkins, 2022. "#NicotineAddictionCheck: Puff Bar Culture, Addiction Apathy, and Promotion of E-Cigarettes on TikTok," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Malik, Aqdas & Berggren, Walter & Al-Busaidi, Adil S., 2022. "Instagram as a research tool for examining tobacco-related content: A methodological review," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
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