Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Tob Control. 2018 May;27(3):287-293. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2016-053616. Epub 2017 May 8.
Identify the population of internet e-cigarette vendors (IEVs) and conduct content analyses of their age verification, purchase and delivery methods in 2013 and 2014.
We used multiple sources to identify IEV websites, primarily complex search algorithms scanning more than 180 million websites. In 2013, we manually screened 32 446 websites, identifying 980 IEVs, selecting the 281 most popular for content analysis. This methodology yielded 31 239 websites for screening in 2014, identifying 3096 IEVs, with 283 selected for content analysis.
The proportion of vendors that sold online-only, with no retail store, dropped significantly from 2013 (74.7%) to 2014 (64.3%) (p<0.01), with a corresponding significant decrease in US-based vendors (71.9% in 2013 and 65% in 2014). Most vendors did little to prevent youth access in either year, with 67.6% in 2013 and 63.2% in 2014 employing no age verification or relying exclusively on strategies that cannot effectively verify age. Effective age verification strategies such as online age verification services (7.1% in 2013 and 8.5% in 2014), driving licences (1.8% in 2013 and 7.4% in 2014, p<0.01) or age verification at delivery (6.4% in 2013 and 8.1% in 2104) were rarely advertised on IEV websites. Nearly all vendors advertised accepting credit cards, and about ¾ shipping via United States Postal Service, similar to the internet cigarette industry prior to federal bans.
The number of IEVs grew sharply from 2013 to 2014, with poor age verification practices. New and expanded regulations for online e-cigarette sales are needed, including strict age and identity verification requirements.
识别互联网电子烟销售商（IEV）人群，并对 2013 年和 2014 年他们的年龄验证、购买和配送方式进行内容分析。
我们使用多种来源识别 IEV 网站，主要是通过复杂的搜索算法扫描超过 1.8 亿个网站。2013 年，我们手动筛选了 32446 个网站，确定了 980 个 IEV，选择了 281 个最受欢迎的进行内容分析。该方法为 2014 年筛选产生了 31239 个网站，确定了 3096 个 IEV，其中 283 个被选中进行内容分析。
只在网上销售、没有实体店的销售商比例从 2013 年的 74.7%显著下降到 2014 年的 64.3%（p<0.01），相应的美国销售商比例也显著下降（2013 年为 71.9%，2014 年为 65%）。大多数销售商在这两年都没有采取多少措施防止青少年接触电子烟，2013 年有 67.6%的销售商和 2014 年有 63.2%的销售商不进行年龄验证或完全依赖无法有效验证年龄的策略。有效的年龄验证策略，如在线年龄验证服务（2013 年为 7.1%，2014 年为 8.5%）、驾驶执照（2013 年为 1.8%，2014 年为 7.4%，p<0.01）或交货时的年龄验证（2013 年为 6.4%，2014 年为 8.1%）在 IEV 网站上很少被宣传。几乎所有的销售商都宣传接受信用卡，并且大约有 3/4 通过美国邮政服务进行配送，这与联邦禁令之前的互联网卷烟行业类似。
IEV 的数量从 2013 年到 2014 年急剧增加，而年龄验证的做法很差。需要对在线电子烟销售进行新的和扩大的监管，包括严格的年龄和身份验证要求。
