E-cigarette advertising restrictions could reduce teen vaping

Laws restricting advertisements of e-cigarettes to youth could help prevent teens from vaping, according to a new survey of around 12,000 teens (ages 16-19) in Canada. In 2018, Canada prohibited e-cigarettes ads from being specifically marketed to teens, but some provinces such as Quebec and Manitoba also banned retail displays and e-cigarette ads in general. The proportion of teens who reported seeing marketing for e-cigarettes often or very often doubled from 2017-2019, and these teens were around 40% more likely to also report vaping in the month or week prior to being surveyed. Teens living in Canadian provinces with fewer restrictions on e-cigarette marketing were not only more likely to say they saw ads for the products, but were also more likely to report having vaped in the previous month, and 65% more likely to say they vaped in the week before the survey.