The appeal of e-cigarettes
Imagine this scenario: You are given the option to take one of two pills. The red pill can cause all sorts of health issues, both mental and physical. The blue pill, however, keeps you as healthy as you can be. The choice here is clear.
Unfortunately, the answer is never so black and white in today’s world. This holds true especially for the tobacco industry, and how it markets its products. The worst part is, tobacco has slowly evolved to target our own children.
Hover over each card below to learn more about the appeal of e-cigarettes in youth.
- Delicious flavors like grape, cherry, sour watermelon, and cotton candy lure children to tobacco like a kid to a candy store
- 80% of kids who use tobacco tried a flavored product first
- Tobacco products can be deceiving, even down to their packaging
- Bright colors, shiny designs and small tins mimic the look of candy
- This gives youth the impression that tobacco products are harmless, which is far from true
- This minty flavoring cools down the harshness of tobacco
- Menthol cigarettes are considered the first flavored tobacco product
- Menthol is much more addictive than other flavored products
- Even though the legal age for purchasing tobacco is now 21, the tobacco industry still uses tactics to lure children into vaping:
- Products and advertising are placed in children’s line-of-sight
- Stores that are near parks and schools are stocked with extra products
- Self-service displays put tobacco products in easy reach for youth
- Products are advertised with low pricing and promotions
- Delicious flavors like grape, cherry, sour watermelon, and cotton candy lure children to tobacco like a kid to a candy store
- 80% of kids who use tobacco tried a flavored product first
- Tobacco products can be deceiving, even down to their packaging
- Bright colors, shiny designs and small tins mimic the look of candy
- This gives youth the impression that tobacco products are harmless, which is far from true
- This minty flavoring cools down the harshness of tobacco
- Menthol cigarettes are considered the first flavored tobacco product
- Menthol is much more addictive than other flavored products
- Even though the legal age for purchasing tobacco is now 21, the tobacco industry still uses tactics to lure children into vaping:
- Products and advertising are placed in children’s line-of-sight
- Stores that are near parks and schools are stocked with extra products
- Self-service displays put tobacco products in easy reach for youth
- Products are advertised with low pricing and promotions
Current Law
- In 2020, federal law restricted the sale of flavored e-cigarettes
- However, this law only accounted for a few tobacco devices
- The law overlooks flavors that kids love, deceptive packaging, and the intentional marketing of tobacco products to young people
How can youth be hooked on something they legally can’t buy? Sadly, getting access to e-cigarettes is all too easy. A study of 15-17 year olds found that teens were able to purchase vapes via:
Additionally, most of the 15-17 year olds reported borrowing a device from someone else in order to smoke.