The Research
Research on the online tobacco and e-cigarette industries sheds light on the impacts of state and federal policies and helps inform tobacco control efforts.
The Internet Tobacco Vendors Study (formerly the Internet Cigarette Vendors Study) has monitored the online tobacco industry for 15 years. Explore our key findings below, or find a full list of publications at Our Research. For related studies by other research teams, see Research by Others.
Key Findings
- Minors can easily purchase cigarettes and e-cigarettes online.
- Online tobacco and e-cigarette retailers often operate within murky or unenforced legal frameworks.
- Tobacco and e-cigarettes are often sold tax-free or at lower prices online, undermining the public health benefits of strategies to reduce or restrict sales of these products, such as raising cigarette prices.
- Several federal laws, dozens of state laws, and several voluntary agreements have been enacted to restrict youth access to these products and/or prevent tax evasion by online tobacco vendors. However, vendors have found ways to circumvent these restrictions, and the problem continues.
Jump to detailed findings on…
Youth Access | Online Sales Practices | Taxes, Regulation & Enforcement | E-Cigarettes
Youth Access
- A 2017 study documented lax age-verification practices among online e-cigarette vendors.
- In a 2016 study, minors were able to purchase cigarettes online despite a host of recent regulations to curtail youth access. In addition, many purchasers were exposed to credit card fraud.
- A 2016 study showed minors can easily purchase nicotine-rich liquid for use in e-cigarettes online.
- In a 2015 study, minors were successful in buying e-cigarettes online 93% of the time, despite age restrictions.
- In a 2006 experiment, researchers found zero out of 101 online cigarette vendors fully complied with all six provisions of a California law designed to prevent tobacco sales to minors.
- A 2005 analysis of online tobacco vendors’ websites and sales practices reveals weaknesses in protections designed to limit minors’ access to cigarettes.
- Despite age restrictions, a 2003 experiment showed minors were successful in buying cigarettes online 92% of the time, resulting in 1650 packs of cigarettes being sent to underage adolescents participating in the study.
- A 2002 study found that most online vendors did not take adequate precautions to avoid selling cigarettes to minors, with most relying on self-reports for age verification.
- As Internet shopping gained steam in the late 1990s, this study revealed only a small proportion of minors had sought cigarettes as of 1999, but showed how the Internet could become a more important source of cigarettes for minors.
- A 2016 study showed vendors continued to market flavored cigarettes years after these products were banned in the United States.
- In a 2016 study, researchers found e-cigarettes were often shipped from Internet vendors without instructions or health warnings.
- A 2015 study found online tobacco vendors continued to sell “light” and flavored cigarettes after U.S. bans on such products and descriptors.
- A 2015 study showed high rates of noncompliance with taxation laws among Internet tobacco vendors, especially those based internationally.
- In a 2015 study, minors were successful in buying e-cigarettes online 93% of the time, despite age restrictions.
- A 2014 study shows how loopholes allow online purchases of cigarettes to persist despite bans intended to limit these transactions.
- A 2012 study examines the tax-free online sale of tobacco by companies claiming affiliation with Native American tribes.
- An Institute of Medicine report Appendix outlines how online tobacco marketing and sales could undermine progress in tobacco control.
- A 2006 study involving 21 in-depth interviews and a survey of 187 adult smokers revealed price to be a primary motivation for buying cigarettes online.
- In a 2006 experiment, researchers found zero out of 101 online cigarette vendors fully complied with all six provisions of a California law designed to prevent tobacco sales to minors.
- A 2005 analysis of online tobacco vendors’ websites and sales practices reveals weaknesses in protections designed to limit minors’ access to cigarettes.
- A 2002 study found that most online vendors did not take adequate precautions to avoid selling cigarettes to minors, with most relying on self-reports for age verification.
- In this early study, we offer a baseline assessment of the number of Internet cigarette vendors as of 1999, along with an overview of their sales practices.
Taxes, Regulation & Enforcement
- In a 2016 study, minors were able to purchase cigarettes online—including banned “light” and flavored cigarettes—despite recent regulations.
- A 2016 study showed vendors continued to market flavored cigarettes years after these products were banned in the United States.
- A 2015 study found online tobacco vendors continued to sell “light” and flavored cigarettes after U.S. bans on such products and descriptors.
- A 2015 study showed high rates of noncompliance with taxation laws among Internet tobacco vendors, especially those based internationally.
- A 2014 study shows how loopholes allow online purchases of cigarettes to persist despite bans intended to limit these transactions.
- A 2012 study examines the tax-free online sale of tobacco by companies claiming affiliation with Native American tribes.
- A 2011 study documented a 3.5-fold drop in traffic to popular online tobacco vendors following new restrictions on sales practices, although loopholes remain.
- The first systematic review of laws regulating sales of cigarettes through the Internet and mail provides policy context for future research and offers a framework for ongoing policy surveillance.
- An Institute of Medicine report Appendix outlines how online tobacco marketing and sales could undermine progress in tobacco control.
- In a 2006 experiment, researchers found zero out of 101 online cigarette vendors fully complied with all six provisions of a California law designed to prevent tobacco sales to minors.
- A legal analysis highlights how states could use domain name seizure to shut down online tobacco vendors.
- A 2017 study tracks the dramatic expansion among e-cigarette vendors before regulations were imposed.
- In a 2016 study, researchers found e-cigarettes were often shipped from Internet vendors without instructions or health warnings.
- A 2016 study showed minors were easily able to obtain nicotine-rich liquid for e-cigarettes through online vendors, suggesting self-regulation of the e-cigarette industry is not working.
- A 2016 study analyzed online search query data, revealing a striking increase in searches related to vaping and buying e-cigarettes.
- In a 2015 study, minors were successful in buying e-cigarettes online 93% of the time, despite age restrictions.
- A 2011 study showed increasing online searches related to e-cigarettes from 2008-2010, reflecting the rising popularity of these products and demonstrating the value of search query data for health and social science research.
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