A recent investigation into the influence of standardized color and branding on disposable vaping devices sheds new light on potential public health strategies aimed at curbing youth vaping initiation. Published in the prestigious journal Tobacco Control, this rigorous study explores whether stripping disposable vapes of their vibrant, branded aesthetics reduces their appeal among young people aged 16 to 29 in three major English-speaking countries: England, Canada, and the United States. The findings offer nuanced insight into the complex balance between preventing youth uptake of vaping and supporting smokers who might transition to less harmful alternatives.
Over the past decade, vaping has experienced a dramatic surge in popularity, particularly among younger demographics. This increase correlates strongly with the widespread availability of inexpensive disposable vaping devices, which have become ubiquitous on retail shelves and online marketplaces. Such devices are often marketed with eye-catching colors and distinctive branding reminiscent of consumer electronics or lifestyle products, arguably enhancing their allure to adolescents and young adults. Prior research in tobacco control has established that packaging plays a crucial role in product appeal, demonstrating that colorful, brand-specific designs increase consumer interest and reduce perceptions of harm, especially among youth.
Recognizing that packaging regulations have previously been employed as a public health tool to reduce cigarette appeal, this study uniquely focuses on whether applying similar standardization directly to the devices themselves—in this case, disposable vapes—would yield comparable effects. To this end, the researchers conducted a randomized online experiment involving 15,259 participants from England, Canada, and the US, a sufficiently large and diverse sample for robust analysis. Participants were randomly divided into two groups, each exposed to images of four different disposable vaping devices: one group viewed vividly branded products, while the other was shown identical devices rendered in plain white without any branding or distinctive coloration.
The outcomes were telling. Participants exposed to the standardized, plain-coloured vapes reported significantly less interest in trying at least one of the devices compared to those in the branded group. Specifically, over 67% of the standardized group expressed no interest in any of the shown products, compared with just under 63% in the branded group. This difference, while moderate, reveals that visual and brand standardization may effectively dampen early curiosity or experimentation among youth and young adults.
Interestingly, the largest reduction in interest from standardization was observed not among those who had never previously vaped or smoked, but rather among recent smokers who had not vaped in the past month. In this group, nearly half of participants (47.5%) exposed to standardized devices reported no interest in trying them, compared with only 37.5% in the branded group. This finding points to an important potential consequence: while decreasing appeal among non-users and youth is desirable, reduced attractiveness among smokers who might otherwise switch to vaping—a less harmful alternative—could hinder public health progress.
Among individuals who exclusively vaped but did not smoke, there was similarly a small increase in disinterest when devices were standardized (20% vs. 16.5%). Patterns persisted among dual users (those who both smoked and vaped) and former users, with the standardized appearance consistently associated with higher proportions reporting no interest. These gradations across user groups underline the complexity of how design features influence consumer behavior across diverse segments of the young population.
Contrary to initial expectations, perceptions of harm were minimally affected by device standardization. Approximately 31% of participants viewing the standardized devices considered them less harmful than smoking, compared with roughly 33% in the branded group, a difference lacking clear statistical or practical significance. This suggests that color and branding influence appeal more than they alter underlying beliefs about relative health risks, highlighting the psychological distinction between product attractiveness and risk perception.
Such findings hold critical implications for policymakers. The UK government, among others, has announced intentions to regulate vape device packaging by imposing standardization measures, a shift toward stricter control reminiscent of historical anti-tobacco packaging strategies. However, concrete details about expected design restrictions remain unavailable. Therefore, this study provides timely evidence suggesting that extending regulation beyond packaging to the devices themselves could amplify deterrent effects on youth experimentation.
Nevertheless, the study authors caution about unintended trade-offs inherent in such policies. Given the reduction in interest observed among current smokers, overly stringent standardization might inadvertently slow transitions from combustible tobacco products to e-cigarettes—a transition widely recognized as beneficial for smoking cessation efforts. Additionally, discouraging switching could increase the risk of relapse to tobacco use or persistent dual consumption, with attendant negative public health impacts.
This tension underscores the necessity for a balanced regulatory approach, one that effectively mitigates youth uptake without compromising harm reduction opportunities for existing smokers. Complementary policies, such as targeted smoking cessation programs, educational campaigns, and perhaps tailored device standards, might be integrated to optimize outcomes. Further research is needed to explore these dynamics longitudinally and in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
In sum, this landmark study advances our understanding of how visual modifications to vape products influence product appeal among young people across three countries with different tobacco control landscapes. By isolating the effect of device color and branding, it provides a foundation for evidence-based policymaking aimed at reducing vaping initiation without sacrificing the potential public health gains from smoker substitution. As vaping regulations take shape worldwide, such data-driven insights will be invaluable in crafting nuanced, effective, and equitable tobacco harm reduction frameworks.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Impact of standardising the colour and branding of vape devices on product appeal among young people: a randomised experiment in England, Canada and the United States
News Publication Date: 20-May-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc-2024-059210
Keywords: Health and medicine
