Electronic cigarette advertising and teen smoking initiation.

Introduction:
This text provides an overview of a longitudinal study examining the relationship between exposure to e-cigarette advertisements and the initiation of e-cigarette, cigarette, and hookah use among German adolescents. The study aims to replicate previous findings and explore the potential impact of e-cigarette advertising on the use of other tobacco products.

Key Points:

* The study followed a cohort of 4,529 German adolescents over a 12-month period.
* Exposure to e-cigarette advertising was measured using self-reported contact frequency with three advertising images.
* The study found that exposure to e-cigarette advertising was associated with increased likelihood of initiation of e-cigarette, cigarette, and hookah use.
* Sensation seeking, age, migrant background, and school type were also significant predictors of tobacco product initiation.
* The study controlled for confounding variables such as peer use and lifetime cigarette and hookah use.
* attrition analyses suggested that the study may underestimate the true effects of e-cigarette advertising on higher-risk adolescents.
* The study adds to a limited number of longitudinal studies examining the role of e-cigarette advertisement in later use of e-cigarettes and supports previous cross-sectional analyses linking e-cigarette advertisement exposure with the use of e-cigarette products and other tobacco products.

Main Message:
The study provides strong evidence for a relationship between exposure to e-cigarette advertisements and the initiation of e-cigarette, cigarette, and hookah use among German adolescents. The findings support public health efforts to reduce exposure to marketing, including a comprehensive ban of all forms of tobacco and e-cigarette advertisements, to protect youth from adverse health effects. The study highlights the importance of regulating e-cigarette advertising to prevent the normalization and promotion of smoking behavior, particularly among vulnerable adolescent populations.

hansen J, hanewinkel R, Morgenstern M. Electronic cigarette advertising and teen smoking initiation. addictive behaviors. 2020;103:106243. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106243