Publication Highlights

This study led by NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow Dr Carmen Lim found that “content shared by celebrities and social media influencers discussing nicotine products, including e-cigarettes significantly influenced pro-tobacco attitudes and e-cigarette use … this marketing particularly targets vulnerable populations such as young people or ethnic minorities, making them more susceptible to initiation and continued use”. The study authors called for implementation of strategies to limit tobacco and nicotine product promotion on social media and effective age restrictions on platforms popular with young people. This work will be presented in Canberra on October 30 at APSAD 2024, the annual conference of the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs (“Swipe to inhale: exploring the influence of social media on intention to use cigarettes and e-cigarettes among nicotine naïve youth”). Other recent studies led by NCYSUR early career researchers and PhD students highlighted aggressive advertising of oral nicotine pouches, discussed strategies to improve regulation of e-cigarette advertising on social media platforms, and found that young Australians on social media platforms are exposed to an alcohol ad every three minutes.