Marisa de Andrade, Gerard Hastings and Kathryn Angus
Presenter(s)
Marisa de Andrade Impact Research Fellow, Institute for Social Marketing (ISM), University of Stirling
Abstract
This paper presents the findings of a systematic analysis of media coverage of e-cigarettes from May 2012 to June 2013 combined with an analysis of seven brands’ content on social networking platforms.
We conclude that e-cigarettes have the potential to deliver significant public health gain, but the unfettered commercial exploitation and marketing may be undermining this in three ways:
1. By pulling young people into the market. E-cigarettes are being promoted as lifestyle accessories, using a combination of evocative advertising, sponsorship and celebrity endorsement. This has an appeal to young people.
2. By undermining wider tobacco control policies. The visual similarity between conventional and electronic cigarettes, and between smoking and vaping, means that e-cigarette advertising and point-of-sale activity can be mistaken for outlawed tobacco promotion. Similarly the promotion of dual usage undermines one of the key health benefits of smokefree legislation – the stimulus it gives smokers to quit.
3. By jeopardising Article 5.3. The tobacco industry is moving into the e-cigarette market and using harm reduction to build links with public health, policymakers and other stakeholders.
We will discuss the potential loopholes e-cigarettes offer the tobacco marketer and how the products should be regulated.
