E-cigarette advertisements lure teenagers and young adults to use the electronic device, a new study suggests.
According to a study conducted by researchers from the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Truth Initiative, advertisements boost young adults' use of electronic cigarettes.
For the purpose of the study, the research team accessed more than 4,200 young adults from ages 18-34 and the impact of random assignment to exposure to e-cigarette advertisements on perceptions, intentions, and subsequent use, reported University Herald.
The study found that about 6 percent of the participants those who had never before tried an e-cigarette had done so six months after the start of the study. Among those who had never used regular cigarettes or e-cigarettes, almost 4 percent who were shown ads for e-cigarettes had tried the devices, compared with about 1 percent of those who weren't shown ads, according to HealthDay.
Ad exposure was also associated with greater curiosity among the participants to try an e-cigarette.
"Our study is the first randomized controlled study to show that forced exposure to e-cigarette advertising has an impact on longer-term e-cigarette trial in a small number of never users," lead author Andrea Villanti noted in a journal news release, reported the Economic Times.
"These findings highlight the potential impact of unrestricted e-cigarette advertising to enhance curiosity and [use] of e-cigarettes in young adults," Villanti added.
Prevalence of e-cigarette advertisements has rapidly increased since 2010. Since e-cigarettes are not subject to the same regulations as regular cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products, they can be advertised on radio and television as well as through sponsorship of sporting and entertainment events, the study authors said. Furthermore, the increased advertising also coincides with increased e-cigarette availability in venues ranging from tobacco shops to pharmacies.
The study is published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
