The underbelly of E-cigarette advertising: regulating online markets on social media platforms

• Main Authors: Carmen C.W. Lim (Author), Tianze Sun (Author), Giang Vu (Author), Gary C.K. Chan (Author), Janni Leung (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s12954-024-01027-5; 1477-7517
• Keywords: E-cigarettes; Nicotine vaping products; Social media; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Harm Reduction Journal, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-4 (2024)

Abstract Australia prohibits the sale of nicotine-vaping products unless prescribed by medical practitioners. Significant policy reforms were announced on the 28th of November 2023 including a ban on single-use disposable vapes with and without nicotine, and the removal of the personal importation scheme. Despite stringent regulations, loopholes exist such that e-cigarette vendors are getting around it, and online markets provide a route to do so. We discuss strategies used by vendors to covertly market e-cigarettes online through social media. In this perspective, we highlight three proposed policies to strengthen social media regulations that may be feasible to implement. Our proposed strategies to regulate e-cigarette product listings on social media involve implementing robust age verification measures, enhancing the system for flagging and reporting prohibited content, and developing a more effective system to identify and flag content related to e-cigarettes.