Table 1.
Percentage of news articles referring to various e-cigarette related themes and topics (n = 295)
| News/ Feature % (n = 237) | Opinion % (n = 55) | All articles % (n = 295) | Articles mentioning FDA regulation (n = 113) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Topic | ||||
| E-cig policy/regulation | 45.1% | 47.3% | 45.1% | 45.1% |
| Health effects | 20.3% | 23.6% | 21.7% | 19.5% |
| Prevalence/trends | 21.9% | 18.2% | 21.0% | 25.7% |
| Industry activities | 7.6% | 3.6% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Cessation | 4.6% | 5.5% | 4.7% | 2.7% |
| Other | 0.4% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0 |
| Prevalence of e-cigarette use | ||||
| Youth | 46.8% | 41.8% | 45.4% | 61.1% |
| Adults/general | 12.2% | 3.6% | 10.5% | 13.3% |
| Policy and Regulation | ||||
| FDA regulation | 38.4% | 40.0% | 38.3% | 100% |
| Age-of-sale restrictions | 40.9% | 16.3% | 35.9% | 46.9% |
| Smoke-free air laws/bans on e-cig use | 29.9% | 20.0% | 28.1% | 23.0% |
| E-cig taxation | 13.5% | 16.4% | 13.9% | 13.3% |
| Marketing/advertising restrictions | 13.9% | 12.7% | 13.6% | 23.9% |
| Child-resistant packaging | 12.2% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 15.9% |
| E-cig warning labels | 8.9% | 9.0% | 8.8% | 20.4% |
| E-cig flavor bans | 6.7 | 7.3% | 6.8% | 15.0% |
| E-cig ingredient listing | 8.4% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 15.0% |
| Industry activities | ||||
| Vape shops | 20.2% | 0.02 | 16.6% | 18.6% |
| Big Tobacco’s involvement in e-cig industry | 11.8% | 0.7% | 10.8% | 13.3% |
| E-cig sales trends | 9.7% | 9.0% | 9.5% | 13.3% |
| E-cig advertising strategies | 6.3% | 9.0% | 6.8% | 13.3% |
| Product characteristics | ||||
| Sold in different flavors | 35.4% | 29.0% | 34.2% | 46.9% |
| E-cig nicotine content | 22.4% | 12.7% | 20.7% | 24.8% |
| E-cigs modified for drug use | 7.2% | 5.4% | 6.8% | 2.7% |
| Research | ||||
| Describes results of research study | 18.6% | 5.5% | 15.9% | 18.6% |
| Mentions need for more research | 12.6% | 9.1% | 11.9% | 14.2% |
| Includes personal testimony/story about e-cigs | 6.7% | 7.2% | 6.8% | 7.1% |
| Health-related Benefits | ||||
| Less risky/harmful than cigarettes | 33.3 | 40.0 | 34.2% | 46.0 |
| Effective smoking cessation tool | 25.7 | 23.6 | 25.1% | 29.2 |
| No secondhand smoke | 1.2 | 5.5 | 2.4% | 2.7 |
| Other Potential Benefits | ||||
| Cheaper than smoking | 2.9% | 1.8 | 2.7% | 3.5 |
| Could eliminate tobacco use | 0.8% | 7.2% | 2.0% | 1.8 |
| Can use where can’t smoke | 1.3% | 0 | 1.0% | 0.9 |
| Not smoking gateway | 2.5% | 7.2% | 3.4% | 6.2 |
| Health-related Risks | ||||
| Nicotine is addictive/harmful | 26.6% | 7.2 | 27.5% | 32.7 |
| Harmful toxins, chemicals, effects | 27.4 | 21.8 | 26.8% | 30.1 |
| Health effects unknown | 21.1 | 7.3% | 19.3% | 23.0 |
| Does not work for cessation | 5.1% | 7.2% | 5.4% | 3.5 |
| Prevents quitting/promotes dual use | 3.8% | 0 | 3.1% | 2.7 |
| Other E-cigarette Concerns | ||||
| Gateway to tobacco | 32.5% | 41.8 | 33.9% | 46.9% |
| Flavors appeal to youth | 21.9 | 25.5 | 22.4% | 31.9% |
| Quality Concerns/Unknown ingredients | 1.7 | 7.2 | 2.7% | 5.3% |
| Renormalizes smoking | 8.4% | 5.4% | 7.8% | 8.0% |
| Explosions | 8.9 | 1.8 | 7.8% | 5.3% |