A Playground for Marketing: Social Media

What’s Out There

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You are probably telling yourself, “I’ve never seen the ads you have showed me so far.” That’s fair! Nowadays young people are more likely to see e-cigarette ads and messages on social media.

Social media allows for e-cigarette companies to have worldwide advertising at almost no cost. By others sharing these ads, cartoons and memes, young people have essentially done the advertising for these companies.

Here is an example of a meme someone might see on social media:

Beyond the Post

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Take some time to think about the cartoon below and the harmful messages this can send to a young person. If you need a place to start here are questions worth asking yourself:

What is problematic about minimizing this e-cigarette product?

Why might the industry be okay with the online circulation of this cartoon?

They Don’t Stop

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E-cigarette companies have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to continue selling their products. We learned in this course that using e-cigarettes weakens the immune system in your lungs and decreases your chance of recovering from a COVID-19 infection.

The examples below show how e-cigarette companies have added on essential supplies, like face masks, in their advertisements to attract costumers. Also, their message to “stay home, stay safe and vape” implies that vaping is safe and healthy.

As we learned today, breathing toxic chemicals into your lungs is not going to help your body fight off a virus that attacks your lungs.

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If you or someone you know wants to quit e-cigarettes here are some resources for quitting:

Text “DITCHJUUL” to 887-09 to get daily tips on how to quit vaping

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to see what quitting resources are available in your state

If living in California, call 1-844-8-NO-VAPE (1-844-866-8273) for free individual counseling and coaching

If living in Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Utah text “Start My Quit” to 855-891-9989 to receive live coaching sessions through multiple communication tools