Puff Bars, Tobacco Policy Evasion, and Nicotine Dependence: Content Analysis of Tweets.
J Med Internet Res
; 24(3): e27894, 2022 03 25.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1770881
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Puff Bars are e-cigarettes that continued marketing flavored products by exploiting the US Food and Drug Administration exemption for disposable devices.OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to examine discussions related to Puff Bar on Twitter to identify tobacco regulation and policy themes as well as unanticipated outcomes of regulatory loopholes.METHODS:
Of 8519 original tweets related to Puff Bar collected from July 13, 2020, to August 13, 2020, a random 20% subsample (n=2661) was selected for qualitative coding of topics related to nicotine dependence and tobacco policy.RESULTS:
Of the human-coded tweets, 2123 (80.2%) were coded as relevant to Puff Bar as the main topic. Of those tweets, 698 (32.9%) discussed tobacco policy, including flavors (n=320, 45.9%), regulations (n=124, 17.8%), purchases (n=117, 16.8%), and other products (n=110, 15.8%). Approximately 22% (n=480) of the tweets referenced dependence, including lack of access (n=273, 56.9%), appetite suppression (n=59, 12.3%), frequent use (n=47, 9.8%), and self-reported dependence (n=110, 22.9%).CONCLUSIONS:
This study adds to the growing evidence base that the US Food and Drug Administration ban of e-cigarette flavors did not reduce interest, but rather shifted the discussion to brands utilizing a loophole that allowed flavored products to continue to be sold in disposable devices. Until comprehensive tobacco policy legislation is developed, new products or loopholes will continue to supply nicotine demand.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Tobacco Use Disorder
/
Social Media
/
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems
Type of study:
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Med Internet Res
Journal subject:
Medical Informatics
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
27894
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