Amplifying Impact: FDA’s “The Real Cost” Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign Drives Engagement With NCI’s SmokefreeTeen Vaping Cessation Resources

Abstract

Introduction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “The Real Cost” Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign partnered with the National Cancer Institute to provide SmokefreeTeen cessation resources to the campaign audience. This study explored how traffic directed to the SmokefreeTeen website from campaign messages interacted with content and how engagement differed on the basis of traffic source.

Methods

Using SmokefreeTeen web traffic data from April 2021 to December 2022 (and analyzed in 2024), the study descriptively and statistically compared page views and engagement with cessation tools (3-step Vaping Reality Check quiz; Quit Plan builder) for referrals to SmokefreeTeen from “The Real Cost” Youth E-Cigarette Prevention Campaign advertising, direct traffic (e.g., typed website into browser), or organic searches (e.g., search engines).

Results

Campaign traffic generated higher proportions of page views for campaign-linking pages. Quit resources engagement was greater for campaign visits, with a higher proportion of Vaping Reality Check completions and Quit Plan completions and downloads than of other sources. Organic searches generated the highest proportion of overall traffic, followed by direct website and the campaign.

Conclusions

The primary goal of “The Real Cost” is youth tobacco prevention. Because many youth experience e-cigarette–related addiction, the campaign also shares evidence-based cessation resources. Linking to SmokefreeTeen resources from campaign assets resulted in substantial traffic to intended pages and engagement with cessation tools. The campaign’s ability to successfully link to SmokefreeTeen cessation resources demonstrates that digital media campaigns, such as “The Real Cost” tobacco prevention campaigns, can reach audiences at various stages of tobacco use and encourage engagement with online cessation resources.