E-Cigarette Advocates on Twitter: Content Analysis of Vaping-Related Tweets

Abstract

Background As the majority of Twitter content is publicly available, the platform has become a rich data source for public health surveillance, providing insights into emergent phenomena, such as vaping. Although there is a growing body of literature that has examined the content of vaping-related tweets, less is known about the people who generate and disseminate these messages and the role of e-cigarette advocates in the promotion of these devices. Objective This study aimed to identify key conversation trends and patterns over time, and discern the core voices, message frames, and sentiment surrounding e-cigarette discussions on Twitter. Methods A random sample of data were collected from Australian Twitter users who referenced at least one of 15 identified e-cigarette related keywords during 2012, 2014, 2016, or 2018. Data collection was facilitated by TrISMA (Tracking Infrastructure for Social Media Analysis) and analyzed by content analysis. Results A sample of 4432 vaping-related tweets posted and retweeted by Australian users was analyzed. Positive sentiment (3754/4432, 84.70%) dominated the discourse surrounding e-cigarettes, and vape retailers and manufacturers (1161/4432, 26.20%), the general public (1079/4432, 24.35%), and e-cigarette advocates (1038/4432, 23.42%) were the most prominent posters. Several tactics were used by e-cigarette advocates to communicate their beliefs, including attempts to frame e-cigarettes as safer than traditional cigarettes, imply that federal government agencies lack sufficient competence or evidence for the policies they endorse about vaping, and denounce as propaganda “gateway” claims of youth progressing from e-cigarettes to combustible tobacco. Some of the most common themes presented in tweets were advertising or promoting e-cigarette products (2040/4432, 46.03%), promoting e-cigarette use or intent to use (970/4432, 21.89%), and discussing the potential of e-cigarettes to be used as a smoking cessation aid or tobacco alternative (716/4432, 16.16%), as well as the perceived health and safety benefits and consequences of e-cigarette use (681/4432, 15.37%). Conclusions Australian Twitter content does not reflect the country’s current regulatory approach to e-cigarettes. Rather, the conversation on Twitter generally encourages e-cigarette use, promotes vaping as a socially acceptable practice, discredits scientific evidence of health risks, and rallies around the idea that e-cigarettes should largely be outside the bounds of health policy. The one-sided nature of the discussion is concerning, as is the lack of disclosure and transparency, especially among vaping enthusiasts who dominate the majority of e-cigarette discussions on Twitter, where it is unclear if comments are endorsed, sanctioned, or even supported by the industry.

Videos With the Hashtag #vaping on TikTok and Implications for Informed Decision-making by Adolescents: Descriptive Study

“…Similar sentiment was noted on YouTube [9,10], with researchers noting the presence of beneficial health claims [11] and minimal Food and Drug Administration warnings [12]. In concert, studies of vaping content on Twitter determined that there was a high level of endorsement of vaping [13], and these were dominant forces [14]. TikTok, a social media platform, has had an exponential increase in popularity, with roughly 100 million monthly users in the United States and 689 million monthly users worldwide [15].…”

Exploratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarette–Related Videos on YouTube: Observational Study

“…Social media, such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, have become a popular platform for e-cigarette users to share their experiences and for vaping companies to promote their products. Apparently, Twitter is dominated by tweets promoting e-cigarettes [ 18 , 19 ]; the e-cigarette–promoting posts have higher user engagement than e-cigarette–warning posts on Instagram [ 20 ]. Therefore, e-cigarette companies aggressively promote their products to the public, especially youth, through social media.…”

Characterizing alternative and emerging tobacco product transition of use behavior on Twitter

“…This includes users who initiate, use, and transition between different tobacco and ATP and ENDS products [ 9 , 10 ]. In fact, Twitter has specifically become a platform for sharing information about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) [ 11 – 14 ] a nicotine delivery device commercially available only in the past decade [ 15 ].…”