Filipino Youth cite flavors, social media in vape uptake surge

Insider Spotlight

• New focus group research found Filipino youth believe e-cigarette marketing is aimed at young people
• Sweet and fruity vape flavors were repeatedly cited as key reasons for trying and continuing to use e-cigarettes
• Researchers and policymakers are urging flavor bans, stricter advertising controls, and a higher legal purchasing age
  
  
  

A new study from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that Filipino youth see themselves as primary targets of e-cigarette marketing, with flavors and social media visibility driving growing interest in vaping. 

The findings come amid a sharp rise in adolescent vaping in the Philippines following regulatory changes introduced in 2022.

The research involved 24 focus groups with 171 participants aged 13 to 20 from Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao. Participants reviewed and discussed 10 locally purchased e-cigarette products, including flavored variants, and shared perceptions about marketing, packaging, and product appeal.

Why it matters

The study comes as vaping among Filipino adolescents climbed from 7.5 percent in 2021 to nearly 40 percent in 2023, according to data cited from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. 

Researchers linked growing youth interest to the legalization of e-cigarette flavors and the lowering of the legal purchasing age from 21 to 18 under Republic Act No. 11900, also known as the Vape Bill.

Participants said exposure to vaping content on social media, including posts featuring celebrities and online influencers, increased curiosity and experimentation. Some reported imitating vape tricks they had seen online, on television, or in person.

The big picture

Flavored products emerged as a central theme throughout the discussions. Youth respondents described sweet, fruity, and candy-like flavors as highly attractive and said pleasant aromas reduced perceptions of harm. 

Graphic health warnings, meanwhile, were viewed as discouraging use, although some regular users reported becoming less responsive to them over time.

“The banning of flavors must be a priority,” Sen. Pia Cayetano said in a press statement. “Our children and young people themselves are telling us that sweet and fruity flavors, along with attractive packaging, are what draw them in and make these products appear safer—and because we know that is simply not true, we must use every tool available to put a stop to this deceptive, flavor-driven marketing that is hooking a new generation into nicotine addiction.”

IGTC assistant scientist Tuo-Yen Tseng said policymakers should continue strengthening evidence-based regulations to reduce youth exposure to tobacco and nicotine marketing and protect public health. —Vanessa Hidalgo| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma