Many synthetic nicotine brands on social media lack required health labels, according to a Boston University study published in JAMA Network Open.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration passed a requirement in 2022 that health warnings need to take up 20% of the ad and appear at the top of ads for vapes containing synthetic nicotine.
“When synthetic nicotine started appearing in products, we really wanted to know how it was received and how it was promoted,” said Traci Hong, a professor of media studies at Boston University’s School of Communication.
The researchers studied more than 25 Instagram posts from 2,000 different synthetic nicotine brands, determining whether the images posted on Instagram contained the required health warnings and, if so, whether it took up the appropriate space.
The Instagram posts were analyzed using a custom AI algorithm that uses computer vision to detect whether the health warnings comply with FDA rules. The team found that only 13% of the posts analyzed met FDA health warning requirements.
They also found that posts with health warnings received fewer likes and comments than those without warnings. According to the paper, the larger the warning label, the fewer comments the post received. According to the authors of the paper, this suggests that having health warning labels can reduce the amount of social media users, especially young people, see and engage with this content.
“I think these brands have a legal responsibility to tell potential consumers that there are health risks and you need to be aware of them,” Hong said in a statement.
For vape brands like Veehoo vapes, this study provides an important reference, prompting brands to pay more attention to the use of health labels and health warnings to consumers in social media marketing. This also reflects the importance of transparency and consumer education in the vape industry. Brands need to take on their legal responsibilities to ensure that consumers can fully understand the possible health risks of the products they are purchasing and using.
Tags: vape health labels，vapes on social media，veehoo vape
