“They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online
Objective: We examined the product range, marketing strategies, access and marketing claims made by Australian and New Zealand (NZ) online e-cigarette retailers. Methods: Twenty Australian (n=10) and NZ (n=10) e-cigarette retail websites were identified via Google using a combination of keywords nom...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/93371 |
| _version_ | 1848765729829027840 |
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| author | Riwu Bara, Roy Pefi McCausland, Kahlia Swanson, M. Scott, L. Jancey, Jonine |
| author_facet | Riwu Bara, Roy Pefi McCausland, Kahlia Swanson, M. Scott, L. Jancey, Jonine |
| author_sort | Riwu Bara, Roy Pefi |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Objective: We examined the product range, marketing strategies, access and marketing claims made by Australian and New Zealand (NZ) online e-cigarette retailers. Methods: Twenty Australian (n=10) and NZ (n=10) e-cigarette retail websites were identified via Google using a combination of keywords nominated by an expert panel and identified via a literature review: ‘e-cigarette’, ‘e-cigs’, ‘vape’, and ‘vaping’, combined with ‘Australia’, ‘AU’, ‘New Zealand’ and ‘NZ’ and then examined. Results: Products were extensive (disposable, pod-based, reusable, replacement parts), 95% (n=19) offered ‘Starter Kits,’ flavoured e-liquid (n=1,032), most containing nicotine (70%, n=14). Most retailers (85%, n=17) offered price discounts and free delivery. There were unsubstantiated health claims (80%, n=16), cessation claims (65%, n=13) and cost-benefit claims (50%, n=10) promoting e-cigarette use. Most (n=14) website age verification features simply required the purchaser to indicate they were aged 18 years. Conclusions: Although e-cigarette regulations are different in Australia and NZ, the online product range, marketing strategies, access and marketing claims were similar and sold e-liquid containing nicotine. The health and cessation e-cigarette marketing claims were outlandish and unsubstantiated. Implications for public health: Most purchasing of e-cigarettes occurs online. Regulations and enforcement to limit access and stop unsubstantiated marketing claims must be a public health priority. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:39:53Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-93371 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:39:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-933712023-10-12T02:02:04Z “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online Riwu Bara, Roy Pefi McCausland, Kahlia Swanson, M. Scott, L. Jancey, Jonine e-cigarette e-liquid marketing retailer youth Humans Australia Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Marketing Nicotine Tobacco Products Humans Nicotine Marketing Australia Tobacco Products Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Objective: We examined the product range, marketing strategies, access and marketing claims made by Australian and New Zealand (NZ) online e-cigarette retailers. Methods: Twenty Australian (n=10) and NZ (n=10) e-cigarette retail websites were identified via Google using a combination of keywords nominated by an expert panel and identified via a literature review: ‘e-cigarette’, ‘e-cigs’, ‘vape’, and ‘vaping’, combined with ‘Australia’, ‘AU’, ‘New Zealand’ and ‘NZ’ and then examined. Results: Products were extensive (disposable, pod-based, reusable, replacement parts), 95% (n=19) offered ‘Starter Kits,’ flavoured e-liquid (n=1,032), most containing nicotine (70%, n=14). Most retailers (85%, n=17) offered price discounts and free delivery. There were unsubstantiated health claims (80%, n=16), cessation claims (65%, n=13) and cost-benefit claims (50%, n=10) promoting e-cigarette use. Most (n=14) website age verification features simply required the purchaser to indicate they were aged 18 years. Conclusions: Although e-cigarette regulations are different in Australia and NZ, the online product range, marketing strategies, access and marketing claims were similar and sold e-liquid containing nicotine. The health and cessation e-cigarette marketing claims were outlandish and unsubstantiated. Implications for public health: Most purchasing of e-cigarettes occurs online. Regulations and enforcement to limit access and stop unsubstantiated marketing claims must be a public health priority. 2023 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/93371 10.1016/j.anzjph.2022.100013 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ fulltext |
| spellingShingle | e-cigarette e-liquid marketing retailer youth Humans Australia Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Marketing Nicotine Tobacco Products Humans Nicotine Marketing Australia Tobacco Products Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Riwu Bara, Roy Pefi McCausland, Kahlia Swanson, M. Scott, L. Jancey, Jonine “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title | “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title_full | “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title_fullStr | “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title_full_unstemmed | “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title_short | “They're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| title_sort | “they're sleek, stylish and sexy:” selling e-cigarettes online |
| topic | e-cigarette e-liquid marketing retailer youth Humans Australia Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Marketing Nicotine Tobacco Products Humans Nicotine Marketing Australia Tobacco Products Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/93371 |