Loopholes, Enforcement Challenges, and Tobacco Industry Interference with Tobacco Control Policies - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Background. Tobacco control policies have been used to address the ongoing epidemic of adolescent ecigarette use in the US and are believed to have contributed to the decline in youth e-cigarette use from 2019 to 2020. During 2019-2020, two federal tobacco control laws were enacted: (1) Tobacco 21, which increased the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to 21 years, and (2) a partial flavor restriction that prohibited pod/cartridge-based e-cigarette products containing flavors other than mint/menthol. While traditional methods (e.g., compliance checks, surveys, and document analyses) have been employed to evaluate policy impact, complementary and innovative social media-based methodologies can be used to systematically examine organic public discussion about policy-relevant issues. Such data are particularly valuable to uncover critical policy-relevant information and provide more prompt feedback than traditional methodologies. Building on my experience and learning from my research mentors’ expertise, I will conduct the first comprehensive social media assessment aimed at uncovering highly valuable yet often difficult-to-ascertain information regarding tobacco control laws in three areas: policy efficacy, enforcement challenges, and potential interferences with implementation. Such research is not intended to influence future legislation, but rather it would provide peerreviewed research regarding enforcement of current tobacco control laws. Research. The overarching goal of the proposed investigation is to reduce youth/young adult tobacco use. Therefore, the proposed research will (1) identify loopholes that may circumvent existing tobacco control laws; (2) identify key enforcement challenges of existing tobacco control laws; and (3) investigate interferences with existing tobacco control laws. To achieve these aims, we will use specialized software and a comprehensive list of social media-optimized search terms to collect data from several social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook). Using a two-step process, we will ensure search strings are comprehensive, feasible, specific, and informal. After developing a codebook via a deductive and inductive process, two trained independent coders will annotate collected data, stratifying by month, day, and time. Finally, content analyses and social network analyses will be used to explore loopholes, enforcement challenges, and interference with tobacco control laws. Training. Pedagogically, the training plan for this proposed K01 is comprised of didactic training (certificate program, workshop, coursework, seminars), mentoring (directed research, conference calls, inperson contact hours, readings), and dissemination deliverables (peer-reviewed publications, presentations at academic conferences, and future research proposals) required to complete the project on the projected timeline. Outcomes from these research aims will complement my career-development aims (i.e., developing expertise in tobacco control policies, social media analysis, and social network analysis) that focus on the intersection between health, policy, communication, and technology.
