In the weeks following the implementation of the California law prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products in 2022, the online shopping volume of cigarettes and e-cigarette products significantly increased.

Researchers from the Herbert Waterheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences at the University of California, San Diego evaluated the impact of taste restrictions across California on consumer online shopping behavior in a report published in the journal Tobacco Control. Comparing the observed shopping query rate with the expected rate, researchers found that the shopping query rate for cigarettes was 194% higher than expected, and the shopping query rate for e-cigarette products was 162% higher than expected.

It has been proven that retail licensing programs are effective for implementing tobacco control laws. However, excluding e-commerce retailers from these programs may weaken their impact, "lead researcher Eric Leas said in a statement.

Despite taste restrictions, an analysis of the top 60 websites returned in search queries shows that at least two online retailers provide flavored e-cigarette products or mint cigarettes to California consumers, with one query returning up to 36 websites (accounting for 60% of search results). Search results).

The research author suggests strengthening regulation and including e-commerce retailers within the scope of retailer licensing programs.