Study examines tobacco and e-cigarette ads online

A study examining tobacco and e-cigarette online advertisements finds that the ads primarily focus on promoting e-cigarettes, snus, and cigars. The study, published in the peer reviewed journal Tobacco Control is the first to conduct comprehensive surveillance of all tobacco and e-cigarette online banner/video advertising in the U.S. and Canada over the course of a full year.

The study found that over a one-year period about $2 million were spent on the promotion of tobacco and e-cigarette products online, with most of the advertising dollars spent on NJOY e-cigarettes and Swedish Snus. More than half of the online ads promoted various brands of e-cigarettes. Compared to other products advertised, e-cigarette ads were placed on websites with the highest average percentage of a youth audience, with some websites having a youth audience as high as 35 percent.