Vaping posts on Instagram violate federal and online policies, research finds

Vaping and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are “advertised” on Instagram via influencer posts in violation of federal law and Instagram policies, new research has found. “Youth exposure to content about e‐cigarettes and other ENDS must be curtailed by effective age restrictions and diligent enforcement of regulatory policies,” said Jessica Tran, who presented the results of the work she and her colleagues did in a poster last spring at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting. “Even more importantly, ENDS‐related content must evolve to educate consumers about the potential health effects of e‐cigarette usage.” The violations include omitting age‐restricted content tags on Instagram, and neglecting to address the addictive potential of these products. Previous studies have found that social media exposure to e‐cigarettes is correlated to increased use. For the study, the researchers examined ENDS‐related Instagram posts in December 2023, using a simulated 14‐year‐old female's profile to search hashtags such as #vapelife, #vapecommunity, and #ecig. Of the 51 posts reviewed, 34 portrayed e‐cigarette use in a positive light; only 12 took a negative tone towards ENDS. Two‐thirds did not contain warnings regarding age restriction of the addictive potential of nicotine, which is in violation of FDA regulations. Thirty of the posts were created for promotional purposes. In addition to Tran, study authors included Lily Nguyen and Joseph Shotwell, M.D., of the University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine in Galveston.