Digital Smoke Signals: Event-driven Online Search Trends in Heated Tobacco Products in Poland

Overview

Journal Tob Prev Cessat

Date 2024 May 24

PMID 38784155

Authors

Paulina Dera

Krzysztof Klimiuk

Olga Kalinowska-Beszczynska

Lukasz Balwicki

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Heated tobacco products (HTPs) have emerged as a prominent category in the tobacco market, particularly within European countries such as Poland. The introduction of HTPs has been met with increasing public interest, reflected in online search behavior. However, the public health implications of this new form of tobacco consumption remain a concern due to the lack of comprehensive research on its long-term effects. This study aimed to track the trends in online searches related to HTPs in Poland between 2016 and 2022, and to assess the impact of significant events on these trends in order to provide insights into public awareness of HTPs.

Methods: Utilizing Google Trends, a free source tool, this study analyzed relative search volume (RSV) for HTP-related keywords in Poland. Key events were identified and mapped against the fluctuations in RSV to understand their impact on search behavior. The analysis was confined to specific HTP-related keywords, excluding broader tobacco-related terms.

Results: A notable increase in HTP-related search queries was observed, particularly around the time of product launches and legislative changes. The largest increases occurred during the introduction of HTPs to the Polish market and during major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates a market interest in HTPs among Polish internet users, with search trends influenced by product launches and policy changes. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring online behaviors to inform public health efforts, despite limitations such as the lack of demographic data. Further research is needed to deepen the understanding of how these online trends correlate with actual consumer behavior and product sales.

References

Ayers J, Althouse B, Dredze M . Could behavioral medicine lead the web data revolution?. JAMA. 2014; 311(14):1399-400. PMC: 4670613. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2014.1505. View

Gu J, Abroms L, Broniatowski D, Evans W . An Investigation of Influential Users in the Promotion and Marketing of Heated Tobacco Products on Instagram: A Social Network Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(3). PMC: 8835593. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031686. View

Majek P, Jankowski M, Nowak B, Macherski M, Nowak M, Gil A . The Frequency of Use and Harm Perception of Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs): The 2019 Cross-Sectional Survey among Medical Students from Poland. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(7). PMC: 8037208. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073381. View

Bialous S, Glantz S . Heated tobacco products: another tobacco industry global strategy to slow progress in tobacco control. Tob Control. 2018; 27(Suppl 1):s111-s117. PMC: 6202178. DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054340. View

Laverty A, Vardavas C, Filippidis F . Prevalence and reasons for use of Heated Tobacco Products (HTP) in Europe: an analysis of Eurobarometer data in 28 countries. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021; 8:100159. PMC: 8454644. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100159. View

Cavazos-Rehg P, Krauss M, Spitznagel E, Lowery A, Grucza R, Chaloupka F . Monitoring of non-cigarette tobacco use using Google Trends. Tob Control. 2014; 24(3):249-55. PMC: 4122644. DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051276. View

Caputi T, Leas E, Dredze M, Cohen J, Ayers J . They're heating up: Internet search query trends reveal significant public interest in heat-not-burn tobacco products. PLoS One. 2017; 12(10):e0185735. PMC: 5636077. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185735. View

Ayers J, Althouse B, Ribisl K, Emery S . Digital detection for tobacco control: online reactions to the 2009 U.S. cigarette excise tax increase. Nicotine Tob Res. 2013; 16(5):576-83. PMC: 3977484. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntt186. View

Ayers J, Althouse B, Allem J, Leas E, Dredze M, Williams R . Revisiting the Rise of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Using Search Query Surveillance. Am J Prev Med. 2016; 50(6):e173-e181. PMC: 5422030. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.12.008. View

10.

Koczkodaj P, Cuchi P, Ciuba A, Gliwska E, Peruga A . Point of Sale Advertising and Promotion of Cigarettes, Electronic Cigarettes, and Heated Tobacco Products in Warsaw, Poland-A Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(24). PMC: 8701658. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413002. View

11.

Goel S, Hofman J, Lahaie S, Pennock D, Watts D . Predicting consumer behavior with Web search. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010; 107(41):17486-90. PMC: 2955127. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1005962107. View

12.

Nuti S, Wayda B, Ranasinghe I, Wang S, Dreyer R, Chen S . The use of google trends in health care research: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2014; 9(10):e109583. PMC: 4215636. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109583. View

13.

Perez A, Spells C, Bluestein M, Harrell M, Hebert E . The Longitudinal Impact of Seeing and Posting Tobacco-related Social Media on Tobacco Use Behaviors Among Youth (Aged 12-17): Findings From the 2014-2016 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Tob Use Insights. 2022; 15:1179173X221087554. PMC: 9133874. DOI: 10.1177/1179173X221087554. View

14.

Polanska K, Kaleta D . Tobacco and E-Cigarettes Point of Sale Advertising-Assessing Compliance with Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship Bans in Poland. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(4). PMC: 7922205. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041976. View

15.

Borland R . A strategy for controlling the marketing of tobacco products: a regulated market model. Tob Control. 2003; 12(4):374-82. PMC: 1747803. DOI: 10.1136/tc.12.4.374. View

16.

Carr L, Dunsiger S . Search query data to monitor interest in behavior change: application for public health. PLoS One. 2012; 7(10):e48158. PMC: 3479111. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048158. View

17.

Kostygina G, Tran H, Kim Y, Czaplicki L, Kierstead E, Kreslake J . Heating Up: How Early Twitter Marketing Gave Rise to Organic Word-of-Mouth About Heated Tobacco Products. Soc Media Soc. 2023; 8(4). PMC: 9997422. DOI: 10.1177/20563051221141851. View

18.

Donaldson S, Dormanesh A, Perez C, Majmundar A, Allem J . Association Between Exposure to Tobacco Content on Social Media and Tobacco Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2022; 176(9):878-885. PMC: 9274450. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.2223. View

19.

Jankowski M, Ostrowska A, Sierpinski R, Skowron A, Sytnik-Czetwertynski J, Giermaziak W . The Prevalence of Tobacco, Heated Tobacco, and E-Cigarette Use in Poland: A 2022 Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(8). PMC: 9031359. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084904. View

20.

Leas E, Moy N, Nobles A, Ayers J, Zhu S, Purushothaman V . Google shopping queries for vaping products, JUUL and IQOS during the E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) outbreak. Tob Control. 2021; 31(e1):e74-e77. PMC: 8373990. DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056481. View