Popular e-cigarette company Juul’s November 2018 commitment to stop marketing its products to youth on social media may have done little to curb the brand’s reach among young people.
Following intense scrutiny from public health professionals and the government, Juul announced it would try to reach fewer young people with its advertising in the U.S. The company terminated its Instagram and Facebook accounts in November 2018, and says it does not use paid social media influencers.
However, according to a study published this week in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control, and interviews with several researchers, Juul’s recent efforts are unlikely to stop the spread of its products and other e-cigarette brands on youth-oriented social media. That’s because Juul has become so ingrained in youth culture that young people advertise it organically — and third-party companies use the Juul name for exposure.