BACKGROUND: E-cigarettes are sometimes designed to resemble other objects, such as USBs. Most of this research focuses on high-income countries. This study examined products resembling other objects in Vietnam, a lower middle-income country where e-cigarette marketing and packaging were unregulated at the time of data collection.
METHODS: E-cigarette brands available in Vietnam were identified through searches on Google and e-commerce platforms, and visits to local retailers. 186 social media posts dated between August 2022–January 2023 from 13 corresponding e-cigarette brand social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube were captured. In addition, the top 30 most visited retailer websites targeting Vietnamese consumers, determined by web domain and content referencing Vietnam (e.g., language, currency, country drop-down list), were identified in April 2023. Screen captures of 497 webpages within one click from the homepage on these sites were collected. All posts and webpages were coded and categorized for the presence of products resembling other objects.
RESULTS: Twenty-nine (17%) social media posts displayed e-cigarettes resembling other objects, and 141 (83%) products on retailer sites resembled other objects. Product types included disposable (90%, n=153) and reusable (9%, n=16) e-cigarettes, and an e-cigarette case (1%, n=1). E-cigarettes resembled cartoon/fictional character figurines (29%, n=50), drinks (24%, n=41), electronics (e.g., phones) (24%, n=40), space-themed items (e.g., astronauts) (9%, n=16), animals (7%, n=12), and food (4%, n=7). Several products in these categories resembled toys. Other notable objects included a gun and nitrous oxide bottle.
CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarette products resembling other objects were found online in Vietnam, with some disguised as toys or everyday objects, perhaps taking advantage of the previous lack of regulations. Since the study, Vietnam approved a ban on e-cigarettes, effective January 2025. The use of such designs underscores the need for continued monitoring both online and in retail settings to support policy implementation and enforcement.