O2117: Pick Your Poison: A TikTok Analysis of Vapes, Zyns, and Cigarettes

Background: Nicotine, a stimulatory alkaloid, is often consumed through smoking, vaping, or chewing zyns. The health risks of tobacco-free variants like vapes and zyns remain uncertain, with research linking them to bronchiolitis and periodontal disease. Despite assumptions that vapes and zyns have overtaken cigarettes, smoking remains popular among youth. This study analyzes Tiktok content to understand perceptions and usage of each nicotine modality.

Methods: The top TikTok videos labeled with #zyn, #zyns, #vape, #vapes, #vape4life, #cigarette, #cig, #cigs were collected. The following data was recorded: 1) meme status; 2) substance presence; 3) ability to control usage; 4) possession of large quantities; 5) active administration; 6) attitude towards modality, 7) sharing. Creator age and control of usage was either self-reported, or estimated by the coders. A meme was defined as any post that emulates a circulating audio or visual format trend (see fig 1). Large quantity was defined as an amount that a person could not carry in their hands. Descriptive analyses were conducted in R.

Results: Analysis of 333 videos (1,212,566,942 views) revealed 111 zyn-related (264,226,748 views), 111 vape-related (948,340,194 views), and 111 cigarette-related (346,016,400 views) videos. A one-way ANOVA found a significant difference in average views among zyns, cigarettes, and vaping (F(2, 325) = 17.7, p < .001). Of these, 239 (871,326,894 views) were memes, 187 (631,981,236 views) had nicotine, 27 (75,742,423 views) showed large quantities, 57 (202,642,484 views) showed administration, and 124 (501,957,708 views) referenced difficulty controlling use. Attitudes varied significantly (χ²(4, n=333) = 61.077, p < .00001), with cigarettes showing the highest positive sentiment (54%). There was also a significant difference in modality presence (χ²(2, n=187) = 19.155, p < .001), with zyn videos most frequently showing the product (73%). No significant differences were found in references to control, administration, or sharing.

Conclusion: Nicotine abuse poses a serious risk to youth. Results show an increased risk for cigarette videos, which feature the most positive content, possibly due to increased attention given to new nicotine alternatives. TikTok’s algorithm exacerbates nicotine exposure by recommending similar content, normalizing/glamorizing its use among teens. The playful tone of nicotine memes highlights the danger of this addictive drug, and perceived normalization leads to a slippery slope toward addiction. Medical providers must emphasize the dangers of all nicotine forms to their patients.