title: Exposure to electronic cigarette television advertisements among youth and young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration does not regulate electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) marketing unless it is advertised as a smoking cessation aid. To date, the extent to which youth and young adults are exposed to e-cigarette television advertisements is unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze trends in youth and young adult exposure to e-cigarette television advertisements in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nielsen data on television household audiences' exposure to e-cigarette advertising across US markets were examined by calendar quarter, year, and sponsor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Youth exposure to television e-cigarette advertisements, measured by target rating points, increased 256% from 2011 to 2013. Young adult exposure increased 321% over the same period. More than 76% of all youth e-cigarette advertising exposure occurred on cable networks and was driven primarily by an advertising campaign for 1 e-cigarette brand.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E-cigarette companies currently advertise their products to a broad audience that includes 24 million youth. The dramatic increase in youth and young adult television exposure between 2011 and 2013 was driven primarily by a large advertising campaign on national cable networks. In the absence of evidence-based public health messaging, the current e-cigarette television advertising may be promoting beliefs and behaviors that pose harm to the public health. If current trends in e-cigarette television advertising continue, awareness and use of e-cigarettes are likely to increase among youth and young adults.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and jduke@rti.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Youn O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Annice E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: Kristin Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nonnemaker
authors.affiliation: Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D012907:Smoking; D013690:Television; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescents; advertising; e-cigarettes; electronic cigarettes; media; smoking; students