ArticleTobacco control2025
Tobacco, nicotine and counter-marketing promotions using Instagram's branded content tool.
Article in Tobacco control, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of Instagram and TikTok influencer marketing on perceptions of e-cigarettes and perceptions of influencers in young adults: a randomised survey-based experiment.Tobacco control · 2026Trial
- The role of social media influencer promotion in initiation and use of cigar, little cigar, cigarillo, and cannabis products among US youth and young adults: Using exogenous marketing exposure measures.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2026Article
- E-Cigarette and Cannabis Social Media Posts and Adolescent Substance Use.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Worldwide connections of influencers who promote e-cigarettes on Instagram and TikTok: a social network analysis.Computers in human behavior · 2025Article
- Vaping leads tobacco consumption among university students in Arab countries: a study of behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with smoking.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- A taste of Nordic freedom: The problematic marketing of nicotine pouches in the United Kingdom.Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT · 2024Article
- Discussion of Heated Tobacco Products on Twitter Following IQOS's Modified-Risk Tobacco Product Authorization and US Import Ban: Content Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Characteristics of Adolescents' and Young Adults' Exposure to and Engagement with Nicotine and Tobacco Product Content on Social Media.Journal of health communication · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe social media conglomerate, Meta, has a policy prohibiting promotion of tobacco products, vaporisers, electronic cigarettes or other products that simulate smoking via their branded content tools. This study examines if branded Instagram posts comply with these self-regulatory efforts.
methodsWe analysed the presence and content of tobacco/nicotine promotion, as well as counter-marketing, in a sample of 400 branded/paid partnership-labelled Instagram posts with tobacco/nicotine-related terms made between 31 July 2022 and 31 March 2023, gathered from Meta's CrowdTangle tool and classified by CrowdTangle as being in English.
resultsOf the 217 active branded posts that mentioned or depicted tobacco/nicotine products, most promoted rather than countered the sale of such products (84.3% vs 15.7%, respectively). Posts originating from US Instagram users accounted for 42.6% of promotional content. After the USA, posts from Indonesia (19.1%), Pakistan (9.8%) and India (8.2%) were most frequent. Most posts were fully in English (74.9%). Posts featured hookah (39.4%), electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) accessories (17.5%), ENDS devices and e-liquids (16.9%) and various types of cigars (15.3%). The majority of US posts promoted venues or events where tobacco/nicotine products were featured (71.8%). Almost half of all promotional posts (47.0%) were sponsored by tobacco industry accounts. Posts that encouraged cessation were primarily (47.1%) sponsored by non-government organisations.
conclusionDespite attempts at self-regulation, paid partnership posts promoting tobacco and nicotine products are present on Instagram, especially posts promoting venues and events that feature tobacco and nicotine use. Self-regulation of this content shows limited success, suggesting a need for federal oversight and additional counter-marketing in social media settings.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.