NARGUILÉ E CIGARRO ELETRÔNICO: NECESSIDADE DE RESTRIÇÃO DE SUA PUBLICIDADE EM REDES SOCIAIS PARA A PRESERVAÇÃO DA SAÚDE PÚBLICA NO BRASIL: THE NEED TO RESTRICT ITS ADVERTISING IN SOCIAL MEDIA TO PRESERVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH IN BRAZIL

THE NEED TO RESTRICT ITS ADVERTISING IN SOCIAL MEDIA TO PRESERVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Hookah and electronic cigarettes have become objects of desire and consumption worldwide, especially among young people and adolescents, despite numerous reports of their health risks. The hypothesis of this article is that their proliferation on social media (including marketing actions by companies that exploit this market) drives the consumption of these substances because their discourse, similar to the advertising approach of manufactured tobacco cigarettes in the 20th century, entices viewers by associating them with power, status, admiration, etc. For this study, online social media posts are analyzed, especially those made by companies in the industry, in conjunction with an examination of the regulations governing tobacco products. The findings presented in this research suggest that controlling information, particularly restrictions on content published on social media, may be an important step in reducing the consumption of these substances, which is essential for public health preservation, similar to what has already been achieved with manufactured cigarettes, for which there is no apparent legal obstacle; on the contrary, there seems to be unjustifiable inaction by the institutions that should be enforcing this control.