The illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to minors is camouflaged among social networks

Without a doubt, the consumption of electronic cigarettes among the youngest it has become a global trend. Even though that him alcohol continues to be the substance most consumed among adolescents, vapers they make their way in front of this drink. But how is it possible for this product to continue transcending barriers?

A study of Nicotine and Tobacco Research points out that social media platforms are being used, such as TikTok and instagramto avoid the regulatory policies of electronic cigarettes and thus sell and distribute illegally electronic cigarettes, packets of nicotine and cannabis to scale international still young audience.

“The TikTok users of all the world they break the laws local, state and federal when selling electronic cigarettes hidden inside other products or in packages that avoid detection“, according to one of the conclusions of the investigation.

From Spain, Rosa María Gómez, a specialist in the Pulmonology service at the Gregorio Marañón University Hospital in Madrid, explains that the use of electronic cigarettes “it’s been done every time more popularits use has skyrocketed in recent years because there is the false belief what is less harmful than conventional cigarettes”.

“Its effects on respiratory level are similar those associated with conventional cigarette smoke. In the electronic cigarette aerosol they travel carcinogenic substances, also present in the liquid tank. Causes inflammation and edema in the mucosa of the respiratory system and ultrafine particles and metals can accumulate in the respiratory tract“, highlights the pulmonologist, also a member of the Smoking Prevention Commission.

The aforementioned study indicates that the advertising and sale of vaping products to minors are common in TikTok, the video sharing platform popular among teenagers. Users who promote these articles often use hashtags like #puffbundles either #vapebundles and disguise vaping products including things like lip gloss and candies in the packages on sale for deter and evade the regulations imposed by these platforms.

“These packages They usually include others harmless products (like candy, false eyelashes, and lip gloss), so they don’t look like vaping products. This explains that the youths are purchasing e-cigarettes despite the legal minimum sales age and flavor restriction laws.” According to a report by the World Health Organizationmore than 30% of 15-year-old adolescents have used vapes throughout their lives.

These users who use the social networks as a platform to sell these products, they point out “practices of discreet shipping that evade the age verification“Likewise, the study highlights that these publications use keywords such as #fake so that TikTok administrators or algorithms cannot detect these accounts.

“My biggest concern is that these products violate a large number of different laws, depending on the country where you are. 6% of videos say to send these packages internationally“, explains to EL MUNDO the associate professor of Public health from the University of Arkansas, Page Dobbs, main author of the research. “Some of the struggles we have had in the USA is the addiction in youth. Now we’re going to start seeing more of that in other countries because people are skipping laws and causing bigger problems.

The study results show “that the 50.4% of videos they announced popular vaping brands and 45% included products from cannabis“. 28.6% of the advertised products are they described as “packages”, 8.7% indicated that the products were “hidden” and 6% specified that it was international shipping possible.

The doctor points out that “the use of electronic cigarettes is greater than the consumption of conventional cigarettes in this age range (14-18). It is influenced by the need among young people and adolescents to be accepted in the group of friendsfollow the fashions and mock to their idols or references,” Gómez emphasizes.

Likewise, the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) alerts about the consumption of this device among the Spanish teenagers from 14 to 18 years old due to increase (17% compared to 54.6%) between 2014 and 2023. Furthermore, the company reiterates that “today there is not enough scientific evidence to affirm that these devices are effective as a tool for the smoking cessation“.

MORE ATTENTION, LESS SURPRISES

The doctor emphasizes the small details that can alert parents regarding the use of these products. “Can observe changes in your habitswho leave home in short periods of time, different smell on their clothes or what they have new devices that they had never seen before,” explains Gómez.

In the same way it can be presented “dryness symptoms in the nose or eyes, small nosebleeds or eye redness, ulcers in the mouth or dry cough. Although these symptoms are not exclusive to the use of electronic cigarettes“.

In the same way, Dobbs advises that “the parents They should be aware that children may be receiving products from electronic cigarettes by mail. These self-proclaimed small businesses direct the young announcing that they do not check identification,” says the teacher. “If your children ask for something and you open it, and you don’t feel good, then look a little more. These packages, especially inside another packageand many of the small packages are beauty products“.

It is important that they be used strict measures and continuous information about the legal use and purchase of these products to prevent the consumption of electronic cigarettes in the youngest, as well as the support of the shipping agencies to prevent this from happening in the first place.

The researcher points out that the regulatory bodies of electronic cigarettes can “partner with social media platforms to try to fill this gap” that puts the Health & Wellness of many young people.

The group of researchers analyzed 475 TikTok videos in English that were published between July 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023. “It took me two years to discover how to capture these videos, two years ago we did not have access to a TikTok API like we have now, it tells us how many times people saw it, liked it or shared it, now we can capture all that information much easier and faster,” he comments the teacher about the development of the research.

They were identified related popular hashtags with electronic cigarettes, including #puffbarss, #geekbar, #elfbar. The hashtags were then reduced to specific to online sales of electronic cigarettes (hashtags included #discreetshipping, #puffbundle, #hiddennic).

It is important “talk to children, adolescents and young people of the long-term consequences of nicotine addiction, of irreversible damage to their health, will provide them with enough information to make good decisions when they are offered the first puff. The communication between parents and child and information from health and educational centers is essential for our young people to make good decisions,” concludes the pulmonologist.