Brown Nichelle, Shin Heesung, Whooley Simone, Tefilin Nathan, Les Olena, Smiley Sabrina L
Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, School of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States.
Tob Prev Cessat. 2022 Jul 25;8:29. doi: 10.18332/tpc/150771. eCollection 2022.
Menthol is a characterizing flavor in combustible cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). E-liquids are recognized as an important reason for ENDS use. Yet, compared to menthol cigarettes, menthol flavored e-liquids and other cooling flavors, including mint and 'ice' for ENDS, are an understudied area of investigation. The present study examined cooling flavored e-liquid website marketing among brick-and-mortar vape shops in Greater Los Angeles Area.
A total of 104 brick-and-mortar vape shops were identified, and 38 had active websites. Over a 30-day period (28 September - 28 October 2020), we collected marketing for all flavored refillable e-liquids (photos/images) from each website. Data were collected for 1330 products. Only refillable e-liquid bottles were selected for this study, excluding prefilled pod vapes and disposable vapes. Each e-liquid per website was coded (e.g. or not) and grouped into categories (e.g. type of ). The three flavor descriptor categories that the e-liquids were grouped into were , or . An '' category was also created for identified e-liquids with flavor descriptors that did not mention or .
A total of 1330 e-liquid flavors were identified from 38 active websites. Among them, 219 were coded as flavor e-liquids. Frequencies included (n=123; 56%), (n=32; 15%), (n=23; 11%), and (n=41; 19%). Of the 123 -flavor e-liquids, 70.3% (n=83) were in combination with fruit (e.g. 'Apple Ice', 'Grape Iced', 'Icy Mango'). Of the 32 menthol-flavored e-liquids, 63.3% (n=19) were in combination with fruit (e.g. 'Dragon Fruit Menthol', 'Blue Raspberry Menthol', 'Fresh Peach Menthol'). Flavors in the category were ice-related flavor descriptors (e.g. 'Arctic Air', 'Brain Freeze', 'Frozen Hulk Tears').
Brick-and-mortar vape shops in the Greater Los Angeles Area market a variety of cooling flavor e-liquids on their websites. Such marketing focused largely on fruit flavor combinations. Future research is needed to understand how exposure to and appeal of cooling flavored e-liquid marketing differs among diverse consumer groups, including adult menthol cigarette smokers and non-smoking youth.
薄荷醇是可燃香烟和电子尼古丁传送系统（电子烟）的一种特征性风味。电子烟液被认为是使用电子烟的一个重要原因。然而，与薄荷醇香烟相比，薄荷醇风味的电子烟液以及其他清凉风味，包括电子烟用的薄荷和“冰”味，是一个研究较少的调查领域。本研究调查了大洛杉矶地区实体电子烟商店中清凉风味电子烟液的网站营销情况。
共识别出104家实体电子烟商店，其中38家有活跃网站。在30天期间（2020年9月28日至10月28日），我们从每个网站收集了所有风味可再填充电子烟液的营销内容（照片/图片）。收集了1330种产品的数据。本研究仅选择可再填充的电子烟液瓶，不包括预填充烟弹电子烟和一次性电子烟。每个网站上的每种电子烟液都进行了编码（例如是否为薄荷醇味）并归类（例如风味类型）。电子烟液被归为的三类风味描述类别为薄荷醇味、非薄荷醇味清凉味或其他味。还为识别出的风味描述未提及薄荷醇或清凉味的电子烟液创建了一个“其他味”类别。
从38个活跃网站共识别出1330种电子烟液风味。其中，219种被编码为薄荷醇味电子烟液。频率包括薄荷醇味（n = 123；56%）、非薄荷醇味清凉味（n = 32；15%）、其他味（n = 23；11%）和其他味（n = 41；19%）。在123种薄荷醇味电子烟液中，70.3%（n = 83）与水果味混合（例如“苹果冰味”、“葡萄冰味”、“冰芒果味”）。在32种薄荷醇风味电子烟液中，63.3%（n = 19）与水果味混合（例如“火龙果薄荷味”、“蓝树莓薄荷味”、“鲜桃薄荷味”）。“非薄荷醇味清凉味”类别中的风味是与冰相关的风味描述（例如“北极空气味”、“脑冻味”、“绿巨人冰泪味”）。
大洛杉矶地区的实体电子烟商店在其网站上销售各种清凉风味的电子烟液。这种营销主要集中在薄荷醇与水果味的混合口味上。未来需要进行研究，以了解清凉风味电子烟液营销对不同消费群体（包括成年薄荷醇香烟吸烟者和非吸烟青少年）的影响以及吸引力有何不同。
