Work

Vaping Devices with Video Games

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies have warned e-cigarette to companies to stop selling vaping products that look like toys because these products could attract youth to nicotine use. The vaping industry has gone a step further, producing vaping devices that are fully functional video games. We have observed several new vaping devices that contain youth-oriented video games such as Pac-Man, Tetris, Mario, Q*bert, and virtual pets. Some of these games reward users for each puff of nicotine. The incorporation of video games into vaping devices raises public health concerns regarding the potential appeal to younger users and the potential to escalate nicotine use and dependence. It is crucial to address these devices through robust policy, educational initiatives, and enforcement of existing policies.

Source: Substance Use & Misuse

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2392547

Authors: Jennifer B. Unger, Julia Vassey, Daniel Wood Soto, Artur Galimov

Institution: University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Cancer Institute