A new study led by researchers from Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), King’s College London, the University of East Anglia, and University College London has found that brief, academic-led videos designed for social media can significantly improve young adults’ understanding of the relative harms of vaping compared to smoking.

The study, involving 593 participants aged 18 to 30 across the UK, tested the impact of eight one-minute academic-led videos that addressed common vaping misconceptions. Participants who viewed these videos were over three times more likely to correctly perceive vaping as less harmful than smoking compared to those who watched a control video. They were also more likely to reject common misconceptions about vaping, like vaping will not help someone to quit smoking.

“This is the first UK study to show that brief, credible, and accessible video content can effectively correct vaping misperceptions among young adults, a group particularly vulnerable to misinformation,” said lead author Dr Mohammad Alharbi of King’s College London.

Key findings:

• 82% of participants who watched the expert videos correctly identified vaping as less harmful than smoking, compared to 58% in the control group
• Viewers were also significantly more likely to reject the following statements: “Vaping causes cancer”; “Vaping causes lung injury”; “Nicotine vapes will not help you quit smoking”
• The video addressing the myth that “vaping is as harmful as smoking” had the strongest impact, increasing accurate perceptions by nearly 14 times.

The videos, developed by Professor Caitlin Notley at the University of East Anglia and Martin Dockrell, an expert in tobacco harm reduction, featured academic experts discussing evidence-based information on vaping and smoking cessation.

They were designed for platforms like TikTok and Instagram to reach young audiences where they are most active. Cailtin Notley, Professor of Addiction Sciences, said: “We are delighted to see the findings of this research, demonstrating the evidence base underpinning these expert videos. We hope that this will give people further confidence to switch away from deadly tobacco but using nicotine containing vapes to support their quit attempt.”

Addressing misinformation

Despite the success of the videos, most participants still viewed vaping as harmful (97%) and addictive (99%). Researchers stress that while vaping is not risk-free, it is substantially less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool for quitting smoking.

The researchers recommend wider dissemination of evidence-based content and further studies to assess long-term behavioural impact. They also call for targeted messaging to ensure accurate information reaches adults who smoke.

“With vaping misperceptions on the rise, it is vital that public health messaging is clear, credible, and accessible,” said senior author Dr Katie East, Associate Professor in Public Health at BSMS. “Smoking remains one of the deadliest behaviours, but most people who smoke do not believe that vaping is less harmful and could help them quit smoking. Our research highlights that brief, expert-led, videos can improve people’s perceptions of vaping, and we know from wider evidence that people who perceive vaping as less harmful than smoking are more likely to make the switch.”

Watch the videos on YouTube here > 

The study, titled ‘Evaluating the impact of vaping facts films on vaping harm perceptions among young adults in the United Kingdom: A randomised online experiment,’ is available to read online.