The Fight Over E-Cigarette Ban Continues

The recent controversy over the ban of e-cigarettes due to the outbreak of deadly lung injury has caused an uproar— but are online supporters real people or automated accounts known as bots?

A report by the Public Good Projects (PGP) explains how bots are the cause of half of the Twitter traffic around e-cigarettes. The study found that these accounts are linked to pro-vaping messages and are inserting themselves into conversations surrounding anti-smoking, often disputing the dangers of e-cigarettes. The study found that nearly 80% of all tweets supporting e-cigarettes were generated by bots. 

These findings caused panic across the public health field. Were big tobacco companies using unethical marketing techniques in order to increase public opinion of e-cigarettes? 

A recent congressional committee hearing looked into the legislation surrounding youth vaping instead of individuals who use vaping to quit smoking. The committee, however, did make a request: “List of all social media influencers the companies have paid to market their products and nay handles and usernames for social media bots that companies use to market their products.” 

The issue with bots is that they are becoming harder and harder to detect, which can allow for the continuation of misinformation regarding e-cigarettes and smoking to land in the hands of youths. 

The continued debate around e-cigarettes has taken front line attention in the media as public health officials work with congress to pass legislation in order to protect the future of our youth.