Most Tobacco Instagram Posts Do Not Adhere to FDA Warning Requirements
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 -- Most nicotine brand Instagram posts do not adhere to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health warning requirements for tobacco promotions, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in JAMA Network Open.
Jiaxi Wu, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined the extent to which synthetic nicotine electronic cigarette brands have implemented FDA health warning requirements, including appearing on the upper portion of the advertisement and occupying at least 20 percent of the advertisement's area, in a cross-sectional study. Instagram posts from 25 brands were analyzed across a 14-month period.
The researchers found that 13 percent of the 2,071 posts complied with both FDA health warning requirements. Seventy-nine and 29 percent of the 924 posts with health warnings displayed warnings in the upper image portion and had a warning covering at least 20 percent of the pixel area, respectively. Compared with posts without warnings, those with warnings received fewer comments (mean, 1.8 versus 5.4 comments; adjusted incident rate ratio [aIRR], 0.70). For posts containing warnings, there was an association for a larger percentage of the warning label's pixel area with fewer comments (aIRR, 0.96). Compared with posts with warnings in the lower portion, those with health warnings placed in the upper image received more likes (mean, 34.6 versus 19.9 likes; aIRR, 1.48).
"Posts that included health warnings and a larger warning size received less user engagement. Health warnings may lessen user engagement, which could deter youth uptake and use of synthetic nicotine products," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Standardized Branding of Disposable Vaping Devices Reduces Young People's Interest
FRIDAY, May 23, 2025 -- Standardizing the color and branding of disposable vaping devices reduces young people’s interest in trying them, according to a study published...
Nicotine Pouch Use in Teens Linked to Lower Risk for Continued Vaping
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- Nicotine pouch use in adolescence is associated with a lower likelihood of continued vaping, according to a study published online May 19 in...
Women Have Higher Risk for COPD Than Men, Regardless of Smoking History
FRIDAY, May 9, 2025 -- Among adults aged 40 years and older, women have an increased risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.