Relative increases in direct-to-consumer menthol ads following 2020 FDA guidance on flavoured e-cigarettes

Abstract

Objective: To examine potential changes in email and direct mail advertisements for flavoured e-cigarettes following the 2020 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flavour guidance.

Methods: Digital copies of e-cigarette advertisements were obtained from Mintel Comperemedia (November 2019-May 2020) and coded for the presence of flavours. Χ² tests were used to determine changes in the prevalence of email and direct mail advertisements for e-cigarettes with menthol, non-menthol and no flavours.

Results: Following FDA guidance, the relative proportion of menthol-flavoured e-cigarette advertisements sent via email significantly increased from 22.5% to 52.2%. No changes were found for e-cigarette advertisements mentioning no flavours, nor non-menthol-flavoured e-cigarettes, sent via email or direct mail.

Conclusions: The 2020 FDA flavour guidance was followed by an increased proportion of direct-to-consumer email advertisements of menthol-flavoured e-cigarette products.

Keywords: advertising and promotion; electronic nicotine delivery devices; surveillance and monitoring.