It is common that, in your circle of friends, one or two use vapes – those electronic cigarettes that look like a flash drive. Yes, they are made in eye-catching shapes and colors, with palatable flavors, such as pineapple, strawberry, kiwi and even red fruits.
But make no mistake, the vape still contains nicotine – and a lot of it! Incor researchers came to the conclusion that those who smoke electronic cigarettes ingest the equivalent of 20 conventional cigarettes. In other words, practically an entire pack.
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It is already a consensus among everyone that vaping is bad. Therefore, public health experts are concerned about its use and new marketing targeting the younger generation. According to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Anvisa of the United States”, Brian King, the first step to this was to make them look like “cute” objects or “glamorous”.
Precisely because of its “harmless” appearance, the device is used much more in the hands of younger people, those representatives of Generation Z.
In an interview with The New York Times, 19-year-old Alexa Addison commented that the vape “was very beautiful”. In addition to her, other young people compare the device to other harmless objects such as lipsticks, lip gloss, pacifiers and sweets. And that was precisely what attracted her attention.
“Flavors take the next steps. And nicotine makes young people want more,” continued King.
The idea is more or less the same as that used to draw children's attention to sweets, points out psychologist Susan Linn, also in an interview with the New York Times. “Tobacco companies use brightly colored designs or packaging to hook kids, to make them think it’s something benign, fun and harmless for them,” she commented.
The FDA has allowed the sale of some types of e-cigarettes because it believes they can help adults give up traditional cigarettes. However, it banned most flavored vapes, precisely because of its appeal to young people. Even so, they still manage to buy them on the parallel market.
The same happens here in Brazil. Anvisa has prohibited the sale of the product since 2009, as stated in Resolution of the Collegiate Board (RDC) number 46/2009. However, you can buy them online. And, in the hands of street vendors at parties, beaches or clubs it is even easier.
According to a publication by Agência Brasil, Anvisa stipulated penalties provided for by law for the sale of products. This applies to physical and digital sales and also to advertising.
Graduated in Social Communication from the Federal University of Goiás. Passionate about digital media, pop culture, technology, politics and psychoanalysis.
