Online shopping for cigarettes and e-cigarette products increased significantly in the weeks following the implementation of California's 2022 law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products.
Researchers from the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences published a report in the journal Tobacco Control assessing the impact of California's statewide flavor restrictions on consumer online shopping behavioral impact. Comparing observed shopping inquiry rates with expected shopping inquiry rates, the researchers found that shopping inquiry rates were 194% higher than expected for cigarettes and 162% higher than expected for e-cigarette products.
Lead researcher Eric Liss said in a statement: "Retailer licensing schemes have proven effective in enforcing tobacco control laws. However, excluding e-commerce retailers from these schemes could weaken them Impact."
Despite the flavor restrictions, an analysis of the top 60 websites returned in the search query revealed that at least two online retailers offer flavored e-cigarette products or menthol cigarettes to consumers in California, with one query returning as many as 36 websites (60% of search results).
The study's authors recommend greater regulation to bring e-commerce retailers into the scope of retailer licensing schemes.
