“The Menthol One Is More Friendly”: Young Singaporeans’ Perspectives on Flavored Cigarettes

Eijk, Yvette van der; Lin, Lavinia; Gan, Lydia Xinjie; Teo, Odelia; Subramaniam, Mythily; Lee, Jeong Kyu

doi:10.1177/10105395211065307

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 49 publications

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“…In a 2021 qualitative study with Singaporean smokers age 20–25 years, the majority had tried vaping and described being drawn to it by the wide range of e-liquid flavours. They also described the process of obtaining vaping products as relatively easy, usually via online sellers or social media platforms such as Telegram, Instagram and Facebook 5. Although little else is known on vaping in Singapore, similar issues were reported in Thailand, Japan and Australia, where e-cigarette sales are also banned or heavily regulated 6–9…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Vaping in a heavily regulated setting: cross-sectional survey of e-cigarette use, perceptions and social media exposure

Eijk

2023

Tob Control

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BackgroundSingapore has completely banned e-cigarettes and the government’s cautious stance against vaping has been consistent. Despite this, vaping appears to have gained popularity in Singapore, especially among younger people. With the heavy marketing of vaping products on social media, it is possible that such marketing, due to its cross-border nature, is reaching younger Singaporeans and driving changes in vaping-related perceptions or behaviours. This study examines their exposure to vaping-related content on social media, and whether such exposure is associated with more positive perceptions of vaping or e-cigarette ever use.MethodsAnalysis of cross-sectional survey data of 550 adult (age 21–40 years) Singaporeans recruited via convenience methods in May 2022, using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multiple linear and logistic regression models.Results16.9% of participants reported they had ever used e-cigarettes. 18.5% of those who used social media recalled seeing vaping-related content on a social media platform in the past 6 months, mostly from influencers or friends, and on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and/or YouTube. Reporting exposure to such content was not associated with e-cigarette ever use. It was associated with having a more positive overall perception of vaping (β=1.47; 95% CI: 0.17 to 2.78), although no significant difference was observed when examining only health-related perceptions.ConclusionEven in a heavily regulated environment such as Singapore’s, people appear to be exposed to vaping-related content on social media platforms and this exposure is, in turn, associated with more positive perceptions of vaping, but not e-cigarette ever use.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Vaping in a heavily regulated setting: cross-sectional survey of e-cigarette use, perceptions and social media exposure

Eijk

2023

Tob Control

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Menthol preference moderates the relationship between cigarette nicotine content choice and reactions in young adults who smoke infrequently

Rubenstein

Sweitzer

Scroggs

et al. 2022

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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Is It Time to Ban Flavored Cigarettes in Asia-Pacific Countries? A Scoping Review

van der Eijk,

Tan,

Makhbal

2024

Asia Pac J Public Health

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Flavored cigarettes encourage youth smoking and deter quitting. No country in Asia-Pacific, a region with some of the world’s highest smoking rates, has regulated tobacco flavors. We examined market data, academic literature, and gray literature to describe what is known on flavored cigarettes in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 12 countries for which market data were available, ten had substantial flavored cigarette market shares ranging from 10% to 97%. With no regulations and growing markets for flavor capsule variants, the tobacco industry’s ongoing promotion of flavored cigarettes, which targets primarily youth and women, is expected to drive further increases in smoking prevalence. There are significant research and monitoring gaps on the industry’s marketing tactics and use of flavored cigarettes in the region. Given the large market shares, Asia-Pacific countries stand to benefit substantially from a tobacco flavors ban.

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“The Menthol One Is More Friendly”: Young Singaporeans’ Perspectives on Flavored Cigarettes

Cited by 3 publications

References 49 publications

Vaping in a heavily regulated setting: cross-sectional survey of e-cigarette use, perceptions and social media exposure

Vaping in a heavily regulated setting: cross-sectional survey of e-cigarette use, perceptions and social media exposure

Menthol preference moderates the relationship between cigarette nicotine content choice and reactions in young adults who smoke infrequently

Is It Time to Ban Flavored Cigarettes in Asia-Pacific Countries? A Scoping Review

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