New study finds vape online marketing still target Filipino youth

Vape and heated tobacco products in the Philippines continue to use youth-appealing tactics across websites and social media platforms despite legal restrictions, according to a new study of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The findings, based on data collected shortly after the country lowered the legal purchase age for e-cigarettes from 21 to 18 in 2022, suggest that digital marketing strategies used by vape brands closely mirror techniques known to attract teens – raising questions about the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework.

Under Republic Act 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, e-cigarette flavors which were previously banned were made legal.

However, products are prohibited from using descriptors that appeal “particularly to minors.” Online sales are allowed, but advertising to minors is not.

Researchers found that these distinctions did not prevent youth-oriented marketing from circulating online.

In an analysis of e-cigarette and heated tobacco product (HTP) brand websites geotargeted to Philippine consumers, all sites featured:

• Flavor descriptors embedded in product names
• Promotional tactics such as discounts, free shipping, and free gifts
• Claims that products could help smokers quit or reduce harm
• Visual or textual flavor descriptions, and
• Imagery associated with femininity or feminine ideals (on two-thirds of sites).

“There is agreement that these products should not be sold to or consumed by children,” said Tuo-Yen Tseng, PhD, the study’s lead researcher. 

“And yet, we are still seeing them advertised in ways and places that are accessible and attractive to youth – including associations with candy or cartoons.”

Cartoons, emoticons, dominate socmed posts

A second IGTC study assessed 358 posts across Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram accounts of vape products. Out of 5,501 posts collected over six months, youth-appealing elements were common:

• Emoticons appeared in 70% of posts
• Animated characters or cartoon-like illustrations appeared in nearly 20%
• More than half lacked a required health warning, and
• Over one-third did not mention age restrictions.

These findings echo concerns recently raised by the Department of Health (DOH) about rising youth nicotine use and the challenges of regulating online advertising.

“When we observe marketing elements that appeal to youth used repeatedly across platforms, it prompts questions about intended audiences and the difficulty of enforcing restrictions in digital spaces,” said Jenny Brown, PhD, who led the social media component of the research.

Stronger protections

Youth advocates and parent groups said the findings showed the Vape Law’s gaps in enforcement and the need to revisit flavor availability and digital advertising rules.

“These findings underscore why flavors and digital marketing remain top concerns. As long as taste-tempting vapes remain legal, kids and teenagers have a target on their backs, their web browsers, and their social media feeds,” said JL Estrella Pablico of the Young Leaders Program for Tobacco Control.

Judy Delos Reyes of Parents Against Vape added that policymakers may need to consider stronger steps, including restricting or banning the online presence of vape and HTP brands.

Researchers noted that other countries have implemented comprehensive online advertising bans for nicotine products and are exploring restrictions on digital depictions of vaping behavior.

“Prohibiting digital depictions or mentions of tobacco and nicotine products within a national advertising and display ban is a broader policy solution that could help protect young people, especially in a country where youth are very active online,” Brown said. — JMA, GMA Integrated News