Two-thirds of California teens noticed tobacco, vape, or cannabis ads, linked to future use expectations
Among 2,530 California adolescents, 65.9% had recently noticed at least one tobacco, vape, or cannabis ad, and ad exposure was associated with doubled odds of expecting to use these substances in the future.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among never-users, advertising exposure was associated with future use expectations for cigarettes (OR 1.7), vapes (OR 2.3), and marijuana (OR 2.1) within one year. Advertising patterns correlated with the source of the ad (gas stations, billboards) rather than the product type. Gas stations were the top source for tobacco/vape ads; billboards led for cannabis.
Key Numbers
N=2,530 adolescents. 65.9% noticed at least one ad. Tobacco ads: 52.5%. Vape ads: 51.5%. Marijuana ads: 45.6%. Among never-users, marijuana ad exposure OR for future use: 2.1 (95% CI: 1.5-3.0).
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of the 2022 Teens, Nicotine, and Tobacco Online Survey (N=2,530) among California adolescents ages 12-17. Principal components analysis examined advertising exposure patterns. Logistic regression assessed associations between ad exposure and use expectations among never-users.
Why This Research Matters
Advertising exposure in adolescence is a known pathway to substance use initiation. Finding that cannabis ad exposure doubles the odds of teens expecting to use cannabis suggests that advertising restrictions could be an effective prevention strategy.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis becomes legal in more states, advertising becomes a key policy lever. This data from California, where recreational cannabis is legal, shows that adolescent ad exposure is common and associated with increased intention to use, supporting arguments for advertising restrictions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot prove advertising causes future use intentions. Self-reported ad recall may be influenced by existing attitudes toward substances. California-specific findings may not generalize to other regulatory environments.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would restricting cannabis advertising near schools and youth spaces reduce these exposure rates?
- ?Do advertising restrictions in other states show lower youth exposure?
- ?Does ad exposure translate to actual use initiation, or just intentions?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 2.1x higher odds of future cannabis use expectations with ad exposure
- Evidence Grade:
- Large cross-sectional survey with validated measures and appropriate statistical methods. Limited by self-reported ad recall and inability to establish causation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024 using 2022 survey data from California.
- Original Title:
- Patterns in Tobacco, E-Cigarette, and Cannabis Advertising Exposure Among California Adolescents and Associations With Future Use Expectations.
- Published In:
- Substance use & misuse, 59(8), 1240-1248 (2024)
- Authors:
- Chaffee, Benjamin W(2), Couch, Elizabeth T, Donaldson, Candice D(2), Farooq, Omara, Cheng, Nancy F, Ameli, Niloufar, Zhang, Xueying, Gansky, Stuart A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05185
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do cannabis ads affect whether teens plan to use?
In this California study, teens who had never used cannabis but were exposed to marijuana advertising had roughly double the odds of expecting to use it in the future, compared to unexposed teens.
Where do teens see cannabis ads most?
Billboards were the most common source for marijuana ads among California adolescents, while gas stations and convenience stores led for tobacco and vape advertising.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05185APA
Chaffee, Benjamin W; Couch, Elizabeth T; Donaldson, Candice D; Farooq, Omara; Cheng, Nancy F; Ameli, Niloufar; Zhang, Xueying; Gansky, Stuart A. (2024). Patterns in Tobacco, E-Cigarette, and Cannabis Advertising Exposure Among California Adolescents and Associations With Future Use Expectations.. Substance use & misuse, 59(8), 1240-1248. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2024.2330912
MLA
Chaffee, Benjamin W, et al. "Patterns in Tobacco, E-Cigarette, and Cannabis Advertising Exposure Among California Adolescents and Associations With Future Use Expectations.." Substance use & misuse, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2024.2330912
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Patterns in Tobacco, E-Cigarette, and Cannabis Advertising E..." RTHC-05185. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/chaffee-2024-patterns-in-tobacco-ecigarette
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.