Image used as reference (iStock)The use of e-cigarettes is increasing worldwide, especially among young people and children. However, little is known about the e-cigarette market, especially in India where 268,000 people are using the drug.
A new study published in Frontiers in Public Health compares cigarette advertising in India, Indonesia and Mexico — three countries with different tobacco laws and youth Internet populations — detailing the prevalence and messages of e-cigarette sales.
The accompanying report presents the findings of the survey in an easy-to-read format, with a document that captures the Indian data from the survey, with examples and figures.
In the four months analyzed in the study, from December 2021 to March 2022, 1,437 cases of e-cigarettes. the product was analyzed.
Most of these were in Indonesia, where there are no restrictions on e-cigarettes (72 percent), followed by Mexico, which had restrictions at the time (22 percent), and India, which has a total ban (6). percent), the report revealed.
The findings were produced by Vital Strategies’ Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM), a digital tobacco advertising monitoring initiative.
Through his relentless approach to media analysis, TERM gives policymakers a quick overview of how to act tobacco is sold online.
Vaishkahi Malik, managing director, South Asia, Vital Strategies said, “With the rise of social media and digital marketing, Indian youth are becoming an easy target market for tobacco. Despite the ban on e-cigarettes, Indians are still seeing e-commerce. -tobacco on social networks such as Instagram, where advertising is using colors and flavors to attract young people.”
“Reasonable laws, especially on the commercial side, that close all the loopholes will be necessary to prevent young people from using e-cigarettes,” Malik said.
The report showed that in India, 100 percent of the sales came from accounts linked to other retailers.
Of the three countries, Indian accounts offered the most covert methods of buying by simply providing phone numbers, often via WhatsApp, the report revealed.
In all three countries, the majority of messages focus on things that will appeal to young people and that reflect the choices that consumers have, such as the type of device, the taste of e-liquid and the technology of the product (India: 86 percent; Indonesia: 58 percent; Mexico: 73 percent), according to the report.
According to the report, the second most popular message in India was entertainment, which
including people who practice magic with e-cigarettes (13 percent).
In India, 60 percent of advertising was viewed on Instagram, the report said.
Nandita Murukutla, vice president, policy and global research, Vital Strategies said, “mYouth sees the image of smoking as a harmless and important habit for young people and young people. It is presented as a lifestyle choice that they share with their peers. This display does not match the industry’s they repeatedly state that e-cigarettes are on the market as cessation aids or ‘harm reduction tools.’
“For countries that care about young people and non-smokers who smoke, our research shows that quitting smoking and unregulated smoking is not a good option,” said Murukutla.
When it comes to switching from one brand to another, the survey found that average consumers define the most important factors as product quality (62 percent), vehicle appearance (48 percent), and brand image (46 percent).
