JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In response to recent policy efforts to regulate tobacco and vaping products, the vaping industry has been aggressive in mobilizing opposition to these policies using a network of manufacturers, trade associations, tobacco user communities, and appealing to the general public, in order to advocate for vaper “rights.” One of the methods by which the alternative tobacco industry could mobilized political action is through social media platforms, such as the social networking site Facebook, which can extend the scope and reach of organizing efforts. Previous studies examining the impact of social media platforms on the vaping industry have identified alternative tobacco product attitudes and behaviors, characterized product marketing, sales, and pricing, and identified geographic locations where people use ENDS. However, few studies have specifically assessed how social media can influence anti-tobacco public policy and methods of social media mobilization among digital constituents.

Objective:

This study uses social network analysis (SNA) to examine how the vaping industry (also known as the alternative tobacco industry) uses Facebook to mobilize online users to influence tobacco control policy outcomes.

Methods:

Data was collected from local and national alternative tobacco Facebook groups and network ties were constructed based on users’ reactions to posts (e.g., like, love) and comments.

Results:

Findings show that vape industry employees were more likely to engage within these networks and that vape employees were also more likely to be influential members in the network. Comparisons between sub-networks show that communication within the local alternative tobacco advocacy group network was less dense and more centralized in contrast to a national advocacy group that had overall higher levels of engagement among members. A timeline analysis found that a higher number of influential posts that disseminated widely across networks occurred during e-cigarette legislative events, suggesting strategic online engagement and increased mobilization of online activity for the purposes of influencing policy outcomes.

Conclusions:

Results from this study provide important insights into how advocacy groups in the tobacco industry use social media to mobilize their online constituents at the local and Federal level and provides discussion of possible responses to counter pro-vaping narratives to strengthen efforts of bolstering tobacco control policy.