Social media use linked to sharply higher smoking and vaping rates in teens, study finds

• More youth social media time directly increases smoking and vaping risk.
• Heavy social media users face over five times the odds of smoking cigarettes.
• Girls are at disproportionately higher risk, showing nearly seven times the odds of vaping.
• Tobacco brands bypass ad bans using global accounts and influencer partnerships.
• Researchers call for urgent international regulation of social media tobacco marketing.

A silent, digital epidemic is hooking our children on nicotine, with new researching showing that the more time kids spend on social media, the more likely they are to smoke or vape. This is the calculated outcome of a multi-billion dollar industry using modern platforms to prey on a new generation, circumventing regulations and whitewashing the dangers of addiction right on their screens.

A major study published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases, analyzing nearly 9,400 UK adolescents, found a direct and alarming correlation. For every extra hour spent on social platforms, the risk climbed. The heaviest users, those logging seven or more hours daily, faced staggering odds: more than five times the likelihood of smoking cigarettes and about four times the odds of using e-cigarettes compared to peers who avoided social media. Even minimal use of less than an hour a day nearly doubled the odds.

Girls face disproportionate risk

Perhaps most concerning is the gender disparity. The study revealed that girls showed stronger associations than boys at every level of use. Heavy female users had nearly six times the odds of smoking and more than seven times the odds of vaping. This targeted vulnerability underscores the precision of social media marketing, which often leverages aesthetics, influencers, and lifestyle imagery that resonates powerfully with young women.

Researchers point a finger squarely at industry tactics. “Increased exposure to advertising and promotion very likely explains part of this association,” wrote lead author Anthony Laverty of Imperial College London. The evidence supporting this claim is overwhelming and global. A separate investigation into the world’s leading e-cigarette brand, Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco, detailed how it uses a global Instagram account to bypass national advertising bans.

Bypassing bans with global reach

That research, published in Health Promotion International, found Vuse engages in high-profile partnerships, like sponsoring a Formula 1 racing team, to push its branding to an audience of nearly 14 million followers. It also collaborates with social media influencers who produce stylized “Get Ready with Me” videos, popular with young women, that casually feature vapes as a glamorous accessory. “Fast cars and beautiful women are a tried-and-true marketing strategy used by the tobacco industry,” said Dr. Lucy Hardie of the University of Auckland, who led the study.

This strategy is devastatingly effective. “Vaping and tobacco content are widespread on social media and they are more likely to be portrayed positively than not,” the UK study authors noted. This digital “whitewashing,” as termed by public health researchers, frames vaping as harmless and socially desirable, directly contradicting health warnings. Experts warn that the long-term health effects of youth vaping are not yet fully known, but associations are emerging with heart and lung conditions, on top of the well-established risks of nicotine addiction.

The historical context here is a cycle of corporate deception repeating itself. Just as traditional cigarette companies once used movie stars and catchy jingles, today’s nicotine merchants use influencers and algorithmically-targeted content. The scale is unprecedented. British American Tobacco has invested an astounding £1 billion in campaigns leveraging social media, concerts, and sports. The goal remains unchanged: to addict young users early. “The earlier you start smoking, the harder it is to quit, and the more likely you are to get diseases,” said Stanton Glantz, a retired professor from UCSF.

This crisis calls for more than parental vigilance. It demands regulatory action with teeth. The study authors conclude that implementing World Health Organization measures to prevent tobacco industry advertising on social media is “crucial.” As one researcher warned, “Social media is borderless and so is this type of marketing.” Domestic laws are easily circumvented by global accounts, requiring international cooperation and forceful platform accountability.

Every hour a child spends scrolling through curated, glamorized content is an hour spent in a virtual playground designed by an industry that profits from their addiction. Protecting them requires seeing social media not just as a pastime, but as a determinant of health, and acting to make it a safer environment before another generation pays the price with their health.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Auckland.AC.nz

TheConversation.com

BMJ.com