Vaping ads lead young people to underestimate smoking risks

Research from the University of Cambridge has warned that exposing young people to e-ciggerette ads causes them to underestimate the perceived health risks of occasional tobacco smoking.

Current estimates suggest between one third and one half of children who experiment with smoking cigarettes become regular smokers within two to three years. However, health professionals have expressed increasing concerns that the rising exposure to vaping advertisements has lead to increased rates of experimentation.

Published in the journal Tobacco Control, the research involved more than 400 English children aged 11-16 who had never smoked or ‘vaped’ previously. After being split into three groups, one group was shown ten adverts that depicted e-cigarettes as glamorous, a second group was shown ten adverts that portrayed them as healthy, and a third control group was shown no adverts.

Whilst all of the children involved in the study acknowledged that smoking more than ten cigarettes a day was harmful, the groups which were exposed to both kinds of advert were less likely believe in any risks associated with occasional smoking.

Dr Milica Vasiljevic, from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, said: “While we can be optimistic that the adverts don’t seem to make tobacco smoking more appealing to young people, they do appear to make occasional smoking seem less harmful. This is worrying, as we know that even occasional tobacco smoking is bad for your health, and young people who smoke occasionally believe they are somehow immune to its effects and do not feel the need to quit.”

Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit and a Fellow of Christ’s College, University of Cambridge, added: “E-cigarette marketing across Europe is regulated under the new EU Tobacco Products Directive, which came into effect on the 20th May this year. The Directive limits the exposure of children to TV and newspaper e-cigarette adverts. However, it does not cover advertising in the form of posters, leaflets, and adverts at point of sale, nor does it cover the content of marketing materials depicting e-cigarettes as glamorous or healthy. The findings from our study suggest these omissions could present a threat to the health of children.”