Research has shown that adolescents and young adults exposed to e-cigarette advertisements are more likely to use e-cigarettes.
It has been argued that marketing regulations should be strengthened as e-cigarette advertising can lead to actual use.
The National Cancer Center research team comprehensively analyzed seven cohort studies published in international academic journals over the past five years (2017-2021).
The total number of subjects was 25,722, and among them, the probability of those exposed to e-cigarette advertisements becoming e-cigarette users was 1.53 times that of those not exposed.
Those who were exposed to e-cigarette retail stores' advertisements were 2.2 times more likely to use them, and those who were exposed to them on the Internet and social media were 1.5 times more likely to use them. Most of the study subjects were adolescents and young adults in their 20s and 30s.
Seo Hong-gwan, director of the National Cancer Center, emphasized, “Electronic cigarettes, which contain formaldehyde and other carcinogens, cannot be considered safe,” and added, “Advertising and marketing of electronic cigarettes should be strictly regulated like regular cigarettes.”
This study was published in the latest issue of ‘Nicotine and Tobacco Research’, an international academic journal in the field of smoking cessation.