In explaining e-cigarette popularity, Filipino kids and teens point to flavors and social media visibility after restrictions eased
New focus group research finds a tidal wave of flavors from e-cigarette manufacturers have been embraced by Filipino youth since 2022, when the Philippine government lifted restrictions on e-cigarette flavors and lowered the legal purchasing age to 18. The popularity of e-cigarettes among young people—magnified by marketing campaigns that youth perceived as targeting them—can be curbed by banning flavors again and increasing the legal age of purchase, researchers concluded.
The findings arrive at a time when vaping among Filipino adolescents has skyrocketed, from 7.5% in 2021 to nearly 40% in 2023, according to the Philippines’ Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).
“When the age to buy e-cigarettes was lowered and flavors were legalized, everyone knew what was coming next,” said Rizza Duro, national coordinator for the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement. “In relaxing these restrictions, we have lost so much momentum. It is not too late to turn this around, however—we simply need to address the specific tactics that are driving youth interest, based on what young people themselves are telling us.”
The new study was led by researchers from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and entailed 24 focus groups involving 171 youth, ages 13–20, from Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao. They viewed, compared, and discussed the packaging of 10 locally purchased e-cigarette products, including flavored varieties.
Study participants told researchers that they believed young people were the main targets of e-cigarette marketing, and that content viewed on social media played a key role in their awareness of and curiosity about e-cigarettes. Video posts and pop culture, including those involving celebrities and online influencers, fueled the interest in and trial of e-cigarettes with some youth replicating vape tricks they had seen performed on social media, television, or in real life.
- “I was able to use vape when I would go with my friends,” said a boy in the 13–15 years age group. “They gave me vape, they said it’s tasty and it makes you look cool.”
- “The sales target is young ones,” stated another boy in the same age group.
- “To look cool, to look handsome,” said a young woman in the 18–20 years age group, theorizing why young people might use e-cigarettes. “When you vape, you look like a rich kid because vapes are expensive.”
The abundant variety of flavors available on the market—particularly those that are sweet, fruity, or resemble candy—were cited regularly by youth focus group participants as a primary attraction that motivated them to try e-cigarettes and continue vaping. The focus group participants extoled the fragrant quality of flavored e-cigarettes as an added benefit and disclosed that flavors could lessen perceptions of harm when comparing e-cigarette products. They also noted that packs without graphic health warning labels carried greater visual appeal, making them seem less dangerous and more inviting to try, whereas warnings depicting specific health outcomes could deter use (although some regular users reported desensitization over time).
“It was very fragrant… and makes you curious and want to buy one,” said a boy in the 16–17 years age group. “That is why when I tried it, it hooked me.”
“Those pictures [in the warning labels] make you not want to use it anymore... like the sickness you can see in the picture,” explained a girl in the 16–17 years age group. “I will be like this when I smoke, so it is better to just stop.”
In July 2022, the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 11900 (the “Vape Bill”), permitting e-cigarette flavors that had been previously banned and lowering the minimum purchase age from 21 to 18 years. The law required combined picture and text warnings, covering 50% of each principal display area, but implementation has been seen as inconsistent.
“The banning of flavors must be a priority,” said Senator Pia Cayetano. “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.”
The focus group findings support banning e-cigarette flavors and strictly enforcing restrictions on e-cigarette advertising and promotion to protect Filipino youth. Raising the minimum purchase age may also help limit access and exposure among youth, who perceive e-cigarettes as appealing and are reached by targeted marketing.
“This study also reinforces what we have long been saying,” added Senator Cayetano. “Strong and consistent implementation of graphic health warning labels with routine rotation is essential if we are serious about curbing the rise of e-cigarette use among our youth.”
“Reducing youth exposure to all types of tobacco and nicotine products and marketing is a central component of protecting their health,” said IGTC assistant scientist Tuo-Yen Tseng, PhD, who led the research. “Manufacturers can keep redesigning and playing dress up with their dangerous products and advertising, but policymakers can rise to meet their constantly evolving products and aggressive marketing practices with evidence-based policies that prioritize the best interests of children, teenagers, and young adults.”
