The influence of social media and video-on-demand platforms on the appeal and consumption of tobacco and emerging tobacco products: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Digital platforms serve as an avenue for the tobacco industry to promote both conventional tobacco and emerging products, with a notable focus on capturing the attention of young people through sophisticated marketing campaigns. This research aims to analyze the prevalence of different advertising strategies on digital platforms and to assess the impact of exposure to these strategies on the probability of use initiation and increased consumption of conventional tobacco and new tobacco products among young Spaniards.

Methods: An online survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1730 young Spaniards aged 16-21 years in November 2022 using a comprehensive approach, considering all possible relevant factors and perspectives regarding the issue of the study. A descriptive analysis and two adjusted logistic regression models were employed to explore the association of exposure to digital platforms with the likelihood of conventional tobacco and new tobacco product use among this population.

Results: Among the participants, 83.2% reported witnessing individuals smoking, 61.6% observed identifiable logos or explicit advertisements, and 77.6% encountered indirect product placement on social media. Notably, exposure to conventional tobacco product placement (AOR=1.71; 95% CI: 1.27-2.30) emerged as the variable most significantly associated with an increased probability of tobacco use. Furthermore, exposure to advertising related to new tobacco products (AOR=2.47; 95% CI: 1.90-3.21) was linked to a heightened likelihood of subsequent use. Similarly, the direct promotion of these novel products is also associated with a higher probability of conventional tobacco use (AOR=1.58; 95% CI: 1.21-2.07).

Conclusions: A reciprocal impact was identified, with the promotion of vaping being associated with an elevated probability of engaging in conventional tobacco smoking. Urgent attention is warranted for formulating public policies to mitigate the adverse effects of such insidious indirect advertising practices on digital platforms.