Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jun 27, 2023
Date Accepted: Aug 16, 2024
Online Interest in Elf Bar in the U.S.: An Analysis of Google Health Trends
ABSTRACT
Background:
Despite the popularity of JUUL e-cigarettes, other brands (e.g., Elf Bar) may be gaining popularity.
Objective:
This study compared online interest in Elf Bar and JUUL in 2022 using Google Health Trends Application Programming Interface (GHT-API) data.
Methods:
We examined weekly and monthly trends in the United States using Google searches for “Elf Bar” and “JUUL” from January 1-October 16, 2022. Joinpoint regression analyzed significant weekly percentage changes in Elf Bar and JUUL search probabilities over time.
Results:
Elf Bar was less popular than JUUL at the beginning of 2022 (18,717 vs. 192,973). When the US FDA denied JUUL marketing authority on June 23, 2022 (Week 26), JUUL searches peaked at 616,289 and fell to 12 on October 16, 2022 (Week 42). Elf Bar searches surpassed JUUL in Week 28 (July 10, 2022) and steadily increased (R2 change = 0.954), reaching 425,205 on Week 42. Elf Bar search interest increased by 11.7% per week from January to May 8, 2022, before JUUL's marketing ban, and rose by 2.3% per week after the JUUL ban until October 16, 2022 (95% CI: 0.8–3.8; P = 0.003). Overall, Elf Bar's weekly search probability increased by 7.9% (95% CI: 7.2–8.5; P = 0.001). Elf Bar searches increased after JUUL's suspension in Maryland (130.1%), Montana (80.8%), Hawaii (74.4%), Idaho (61.4%), and Alabama (60.9%).
Conclusions:
Increasing trends in searches for Elf Bar may suggest that JUUL users are searching for other brands rather than quitting these products as a response to regulatory actions.
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