How flavors, social media draw Filipino youth to vaping

For years, researchers have warned that flavors, attractive packaging and youth-oriented designs could make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing to young people.

Now, Filipino youth are offering a firsthand account of how those strategies have evolved into something much bigger — one that reaches them through social media feeds, online trends, peer circles and everyday entertainment.

A new study by researchers from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that many Filipino youth perceive themselves as the targets of e-cigarette marketing, raising fresh concerns about how vaping is becoming embedded in youth culture in the Philippines.

Among the study’s most striking observations was perhaps the simplest one.

“The sales target is young ones,” said one participant, a Filipino boy aged 13 to 15.

The remark encapsulates a broader picture emerging from the research: Many Filipino youth believe vaping products are being marketed directly to people their age through flavors, social media, online trends and carefully designed products that make vaping appear fashionable, appealing and less harmful than they actually are.

The study, “Perceptions of E-cigarette Marketing & Packaging Among Filipino Youth,” was conducted by researchers from the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

READ: Perceptions of E-cigarette Marketing & Packaging Among Filipino Youth

Researchers held 24 focus group discussions involving 171 participants aged 13 to 20 from Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao in January 2024. Participants discussed their experiences with e-cigarettes before examining and comparing the packaging of 10 locally purchased products, including flavored varieties.

The study comes as youth vaping continues to rise sharply in the country.

According to data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute cited by the researchers, vaping among Filipino adolescents increased from 7.5 percent in 2021 to nearly 40 percent in 2023.

Vaping as part of youth culture

Young people in the study rarely described vaping as simply using a nicotine product. Instead, many spoke about image, popularity and belonging.

“[W]hen someone vapes, they look cool. So, I just tried,” one participant said.

Others associated vaping with social status.

“To look cool, to look handsome. When you vape, you look like a rich kid because vapes are expensive,” another participant said.

The discussions show that, for many young people, vaping is no longer perceived solely as nicotine consumption but as something to display, imitate and incorporate into everyday life.

Participants also repeatedly described encountering vaping across multiple forms of media.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube surfaced throughout the discussions, alongside celebrities, influencers and television programs.

“On social media, ma’am, you can no longer see anything that does not encourage younger people not to use vape. They would really encourage younger people to buy,” an 18- to 20-year-old female participant who does not vape told a researcher.

Several participants also described replicating behaviors they had seen online.

“People vaping on TikTok […] They do tricks, make circles […] That made me curious, that’s why I bought one,” another participant recalled.

Exposure was not limited to social media. One participant recalled seeing a contestant perform vape tricks on “Philippines Got Talent,” a popular reality competition show on TV, before trying to imitate what they had watched.

“It’s because I saw it at Philippines Got Talent vaping with a thick smoke […] So I imitated that, too,” the participant said.

For Dr. Tuo-Yen Tseng, IGTC assistant scientist and lead author of the study, these accounts point to a broader environment in which vaping promotion reaches young people through the same platforms and personalities they already engage with every day.

“Social media occupies a space that often bypasses existing restrictions on tobacco and nicotine product advertising, and this is a concern because we know that young people are avid social media users, making them prone to targeting that normalizes and glamorizes vaping, such as posts from content creators that involve e-cigarette use, demonstrating tricks, and depicting aspirational lifestyles,” she said in an exclusive interview with INQUIRER.net.

She said previous IGTC research had also documented that posts involving e-cigarette brands often resemble entertainment more than advertisements, using emoticons, cartoons and contests that invite engagement.

“In hearing these young people describe the influence of their peers and the social media accounts of people they admire, it is notable that this isn’t a matter of Filipino youth seeking out vaping — to the contrary, vape promotion is reaching them at every turn, delivered by the same people they trust and look up to,” Tseng said.

“E-cigarette use is introduced as tasting delicious, looking trendy, and framed as a hobby, skill, or social activity — this positioning, as something to pursueor show off, is an incredibly dangerous form of normalization that has the potential to shape how an entire generation perceives these products, which is why strong advertising and promotion restrictions are so important,” sheemphasized.

More than just flavors

The study also suggests that flavors do more than alter taste.

Participants described experiences that involved smell, novelty and even perceptions of cleanliness — features that can make e-cigarettes feel far removed from traditional tobacco products.

Some participants compared flavored e-cigarettes to sweets and familiar confectionery.

One participant likened vaping to “eating a Snow Bear candy,” a popular menthol candy, while others described it as “candy with a menthol feeling in the throat” or “like you’re chewing candy.”

Infographic by Ed Lustan / INQUIRER.net

Beyond taste, smell emerged as another powerful draw.

Some participants said fragrances themselves sparked curiosity and encouraged them to try vaping.

“It was very fragrant, ma’am, and makes you curious and want to buy one. That is why when I tried it, ma’am, it hooked me,” one participant said.

Another participant said they were “enticed to use vape because it smells good, and the sweet scent is addicting.”

Others described fragrances as an added appeal that could even mask unpleasant odors.

“Especially after you blow out smoke, you feel like there is perfume on your clothes,” one participant said.

Researchers also found that the constant introduction of new flavors may encourage repeated experimentation.

“That is why we vape because there are more flavors to choose from, so when more new flavors come out, we keep vaping more and more because you keep trying different flavors,” a participant said.

The findings also suggest that flavors can shape how young people assess risk. One participant said a coconut melon product seemed less harmful despite its high nicotine content because it felt “soft.”

Warning signs were already there

Several of the themes emerging from the latest study also align with findings from earlier research conducted in the Philippines.

Over the past few years, researchers have examined how flavors, packaging and product design can shape the appeal of tobacco and nicotine products, particularly among younger consumers.

In 2023, one IGTC study examined how packaging designs influenced young adults’ perceptions of cigarette products. The research found that colors, imagery, shapes and other design elements could increase product appeal and influence perceptions of harm.

Participants in that study also perceived flavored tobacco products as being intended for younger consumers and people interested in trying smoking.

READ: Tobacco packaging: Getting PH youth hooked on smoking, vaping

That same year, another IGTC study linked flavor chemicals found in cigarettes sold in the Philippines to the products’ appeal among both adult and young consumers.

Researchers found that flavors could increase product appeal, adolescent initiation and experimentation, and difficulty quitting.

READ: Flavor chemicals: Culprit behind PH ‘tobacco epidemic’

The latest research suggests those strategies have not disappeared. Instead, young Filipinos now describe encountering them within a broader environment that extends far beyond product shelves.

A different landscape

The findings have unfolded alongside major policy changes in the country.

In July 2022, the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 11900, commonly known as the Vape Law. The law legalized e-cigarette flavors that had previously been prohibited and lowered the minimum purchasing age from 21 to 18 years old.

It also required combined text and picture health warnings covering 50 percent of each principal display area, although researchers said implementation has been inconsistent.

READ: Bill allowing younger vapers lapses into law

The Philippines has since seen an expansion of flavored vaping products and greater visibility of e-cigarettes among young people.

“When the age to buy e-cigarettes was lowered, and flavors were legalized, everyone knew what was coming next,” said Rizza Duro, national coordinator of 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,” Duro said.

RELATED STORY: VAPE: Flaws in law worsening youth ‘vapedemic’

Packaging matters

The findings also suggest that packaging continues to play an important role in shaping young people’s perceptions of risk.

Participants said products without graphic health warning labels looked more appealing and, in some cases, appeared less harmful.

“[The pack that] doesn’t have that much warning signs on it looks more pleasing to the eye,” one participant said.

By contrast, graphic warnings depicting specific health outcomes appeared more effective.

“Those pictures make you not want to use it anymore […] like the sickness you can see in the picture, I will be like this when I smoke, so it is better to just stop,” another participant said.

RELATED STORY: E-cigarette, vape marketing lures PH youth

Tseng said the findings reaffirm the importance of graphic warnings while also revealing their limitations when implementation is weak.

“We know that a graphic health warning label isn’t a be-all, end-all solution — it won’t by itself rewire the brain of someone who is addicted to nicotine — but it can help discourage someone from picking up one of these products for the first time, and this is something that our focus group data collection verified,” she said.

Participants, she added, found text-only warnings easy to ignore because “most people don’t have time to read.”

“This points to the importance of strong implementation and enforcement for health warnings to be effective and suggests that plain and standardized packaging and frequent rotation would make the warnings more prominent and harder to ignore,” Tseng said.

Looking beyond individual choices

IGTC’s new study likewise revealed how widespread these influences have become.

Participants who used e-cigarettes and those who did not often described encountering the same social media content, flavors, product designs and messages that framed vaping as attractive and socially desirable.

For Tseng, that observation highlights why youth vaping cannot be framed solely as an issue of individual choice.

“There were plenty of indications that youth of all backgrounds are exposed to the tactics at play — including both those who do and do not use e-cigarettes,” she said.

“This underscores why the use of tobacco nicotine products is not limited to individual choice, knowledge, or capacity to resist, and why public health policies are crucial for reining in industries that are laser-focused on recruiting generations of consumers to a lifetime of nicotine addiction,” she added.

Infographic by Ed Lustan / INQUIRER.net

Young people are also calling for stronger protections

The findings also come as youth groups in the Philippines are increasingly pushing for stronger safeguards against vaping and nicotine products.

During this year’s World No Tobacco Day activities, more than 6,000 young Filipinos joined online and on-ground campaigns calling for an immediate ban on vapes and e-cigarettes and urging the government to strengthen protections for young people.

The activities were led by the TobaccOFF NOW! movement, which released a youth manifesto calling for comprehensive measures to curb nicotine addiction among young people, including stronger enforcement against tobacco and vape advertising, restrictions on youth-oriented product designs and flavorings, and policies that prioritize public health over industry interests.

“Through Pilipinas, TobaccOFF NOW! and the broader F*Nicotine campaign, we, the youth, get to express our frustration about tobacco, vape, and other nicotine products taking over our lives and our health,” said Vonn Vincent Tanchuan, campaign lead of the TobaccOFF NOW! movement.

“We’ve been inspired by the youth sentiments online and in communities, reminding our government that we deserve better protection from the tobacco and vape industry. I know that our movement will just grow bigger and bigger until this is achieved,” he added.

READ: Youth group seeks ban on vapes, e-cigarettes

The movement also pointed to figures it said underscore the urgency of the issue, citing data from the IGTC and the National Library of Medicine indicating that around 1.21 million Filipino youth currently use e-cigarettes. It also said vaping among teenagers aged 13 to 15, at 14.1 percent, has already surpassed the smoking rate for regular cigarettes, at 12.5 percent.

“Our youth-led movement is urgently calling for an immediate ban on vapes and e-cigarettes because these harmful products serve as the starting point for our young people, encouraging them to eventually use cigarettes and other nicotine products,” said Jeannie Anne Maguad, executive director of the Positive Youth Development Network.

“This immediate action must be taken while simultaneously executing the other crucial demands in our TobaccOFF NOW! manifesto, including eliminating flavors, terminating packaging designs, and strongly enforcing advertising bans,” she added.

What the findings support

The findings support banning e-cigarette flavors; strengthening enforcement of advertising and promotion restrictions, including in digital spaces; improving the implementation of graphic health warning labels; and raising the minimum purchasing age to further limit youth access and exposure.

Tseng also emphasized the importance of comprehensive regulations that account for emerging technologies and evolving marketing tactics.

“Through experiences of countries across the world, we know that comprehensiveness is key to addressing a wide range of product devices, behavioral shifts, and anticipating technological changes,” she said.

“In this case, evidence supports a comprehensive flavor ban, comprehensive advertising restrictions that explicitly include digital marketing, social media content, influencer partnerships, and extend to digital advancements not yet known, and applying these policies comprehensively to all forms of nicotine and tobacco products,” she continued.

RELATED STORY: Tougher measures needed to protect PH youth from ‘vapedemic’

In the press statement released by the IGTC, Sen. Pia Cayetano said the findings underscore concerns about how flavors and attractive packaging may influence youth perceptions of e-cigarettes.

“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,” Cayetano said.

She also called for stronger implementation of health warnings.

“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,” she said.

For Tseng, the stories shared by Filipino youth also underscore a narrowing window for action.

“As the sayings go, time flies and youth is fleeting — so we need to move immediately if we want to protect today’s young people,” she said.

“Timely, evidence-based policy solutions combined with an informed generation of young consumers are a win-win combination, but to let this moment pass by is to favor commercial interests over public health,” Tseng added. /dm