Description
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that create artificial smoke containing nicotine and carcinogens. Research has found that e-cigarettes negatively impact the health of users as well as nonusers. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in South Korea currently regulate e-cigarettes, these regulations do not extend to online marketing of these misunderstood products. Through the lens of framing theory, the purpose of this study was to explore, analyze, and compare how e-cigarettes are marketed online in South Korea and the U.S. This study analyzed 55 South Korean e-cigarette websites and 95 U.S. e-cigarette websites. Each website was coded for 14 criteria, including age confirmation, framing variables, use of cultural heuristics, and social media connection. This study concluded that South Korean and U.S. e-cigarette websites generally ignore the important health risks associated with their products. In addition, important cultural differences in marketing strategies were found. Implications extend to important aspects of public practice.
