title: Impact of advertisements promoting candy-like flavoured e-cigarettes on appeal of tobacco smoking among children: an experimental study.
abstract: There are concerns that the marketing of e-cigarettes may increase the appeal of tobacco smoking in children. We examined this concern by assessing the impact on appeal of tobacco smoking after exposure to advertisements for e-cigarettes with and without candy-like flavours, such as, bubble gum and milk chocolate.
  
  
  
  We assigned 598 English school children (aged 11-16 years) to 1 of 3 different conditions corresponding to the adverts to which they were exposed: adverts for flavoured e-cigarettes, adverts for non-flavoured e-cigarettes or a control condition in which no adverts were shown. The primary endpoint was appeal of tobacco smoking. Secondary endpoints were: appeal of using e-cigarettes, susceptibility to tobacco smoking, perceived harm of tobacco, appeal of e-cigarette adverts and interest in buying and trying e-cigarettes.
  
  
  
  Tobacco smokers and e-cigarette users were excluded from analyses (final sample=471). Exposure to either set of adverts did not increase the appeal of tobacco smoking, the appeal of using e-cigarettes, or susceptibility to tobacco smoking. Also, it did not reduce the perceived harm of tobacco smoking, which was high. Flavoured e-cigarette adverts were, however, more appealing than adverts for non-flavoured e-cigarettes and elicited greater interest in buying and trying e-cigarettes.
  
  
  
  Exposure to adverts for e-cigarettes does not seem to increase the appeal of tobacco smoking in children. Flavoured, compared with non-flavoured, e-cigarette adverts did, however, elicit greater appeal and interest in buying and trying e-cigarettes. Further studies extending the current research are needed to elucidate the impact of flavoured and non-flavoured e-cigarette adverts.
authors.affiliation: Behaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasiljevic
authors.affiliation: Behaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Dragos C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Petrescu
authors.affiliation: Behaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Theresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Marteau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000329:Advertising; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002182:Candy; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods; D011897:Random Allocation; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents
keywords: Advertising and Promotion; Electronic nicotine delivery devices; Media; Nicotine