Freedom from health consequences is a common theme that appears in many electronic cigarette (e-cig) advertisements. A major distinguishing factor between e-cigs and combustible cigarettes is that the electronic version does not contain tobacco and therefore does not produce any tar, a deadly substance produced as a by product in conventional cigarettes. In their advertisements, e-cig brands heavily emphasize the electronic devices as a solution to the ills that accompany combustible cigarette products.
The brands primarily advertise the following freedoms from health consequences: freedom from the harmful substances found in traditional cigarettes (e.g. tar), freedom from the harmful effects of smoking (eg. freedom from disease); and freedom from fear.
Many brands advertise their e-cigs as being free from various substances. The most common may be “tar free,” “smoke free,” “tobacco free,” “free of ash,” or “carcinogen free,” but some online advertisements have gone so far as to name the chemicals found in conventional cigarettes as a scare tactic to lure more customers. For instance, an ad “Enjoy Freedom from Acetic Acid, Ammonia, Arsenic, Butane” and eight other chemicals that may be found in cigarettes.
Some brands reference the absence of consequences of vaping. These claims can be as specific as “breathe freely” and “odor free” or as broad as “guilt free smoking” or the freedom from fear, implying the most ominous health consequences. For instance, V2 Cigs ads often appear with the slogan, “Smoke Free – Odor Free – Guilt Free,” and White Cloud e-cigs ads appear with the tagline, “ Guilt Free Smoking.”
The freedom from health consequences ads suggest to users that vaping liberates them from regulation as well as ill-health consequences.
