E-Cigarette "Tobacco Flavor," How Do I Name Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...

This article examines how tobacco flavor is presented in U.S. English-language e-cigarette advertisements from 2018 to 2020, analyzing 2,966 ads to identify naming conventions for tobacco-flavored products. Among ads promoting tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes (28% of the sample), researchers identified 51 unique tobacco flavor names categorized into Traditional Tobacco, Pipe/Cigar Tobacco, Sensory Expectancies, Color, Physical Attribute, Place, and Concept flavors. The most common names were traditional descriptors like "Tobacco," "Classic Tobacco," and "Original," but many products used alternative descriptors related to color, sensory qualities, or geographic places associated with tobacco cultivation. The study highlights the diversity in tobacco flavor naming, which may influence consumer perceptions and poses challenges for regulatory policies that exempt tobacco flavors from restrictions. Future research is recommended to monitor naming trends and assess their impact on consumer appeal and risk perceptions.