Impact of the Food and Drug Administration enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarettes on the online popularity of disposable e-cigarettes: analyses of Google search query data.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study that examines the impact of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarettes, specifically Puff Bar, on the online popularity of disposable e-cigarettes. The study uses Google search query data to evaluate the changes in online popularity of Puff Bar before and after the FDA's policy changes.

Key Points:

* The study used Google search query data to measure the online popularity of Puff Bar, a prototypic disposable e-cigarette, from January 2019 to December 2021.
* The study period was divided into four distinct periods using the dates of the initial announcement to ban non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes, the finalization of the FDA enforcement policy on cartridge-based flavors, and the notice for the removal of flavored disposable e-cigarettes from the market as reference time points.
* The study used piecewise linear regression and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) to compare the trends in searches for Puff Bar for the four periods.
* Before the initial announcement to ban non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes, online search queries for Puff Bar were slowly rising. Following the announcement, searches for Puff Bar increased significantly. The rate of searches for Puff Bar then increased exponentially following the FDA flavor ban, which excluded disposable e-cigarettes. After the FDA's notice to remove flavored Puff Bar products from the market, the rate of searches for Puff Bar significantly declined.
* The study findings suggest that the FDA's enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarettes, particularly the initial announcement to ban non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes and the FDA flavor ban, had a significant impact on the online popularity of disposable e-cigarettes.
* Online search query data can be a valuable tool for monitoring the public's interest and likely behavior in response to health campaigns and policy implementation.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of monitoring online search query data in evaluating the impact of health campaigns and policy implementation. The FDA's enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarettes had a significant impact on the online popularity of disposable e-cigarettes, specifically Puff Bar. The study suggests that such policy changes can prompt people to replace their cartridge-based devices with disposable products, leading to potential health risks. Therefore, it is crucial to continuously monitor and evaluate the impact of such policies to ensure their effectiveness in promoting public health.

Boakye E, Dzaye O, Erhabor J, et al. Impact of the Food and Drug Administration enforcement policy on flavored e-cigarettes on the online popularity of disposable e-cigarettes: analyses of Google search query data. BMC public health. 2022;22(1):1937. doi:10.1186/s12889-022-14367-3