'Why Did You Order Candy?' Dobbs Discusses Use of Discreet Shipping to Sell E-cigarettes to Minors

Photo Submitted

This month’s Short Talks from the Hill features Page Dobbs, an associate professor of public health in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation in the College of Education and Health Professions.  

Dobbs’ research focuses on social factors that influence perceptions and behaviors among vulnerable populations. She has published quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research that examines the use of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes among youth, young adults, minority populations and pregnant women. 

Dobbs recently co-authored a paper published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research describing how self-identified small business owners on TikTok are circumventing local, state and federal laws that restrict the individual sale of tobacco products, specifically targeting minors with promises of discreet shipping to get around parental oversight.  

In the interview Dobbs says, “I think that's the biggest thing with this research is we hope to get information out to parents who may be handing packages over to their kids. If you open something and you say, ‘This is weird, why did you order candy? I would have gotten it for you at the store. Why did you order beauty products? We could have gone together and gotten that.’ Instead, look a little bit deeper. Look inside the scrunchie, if there is one in there. Look inside the package of candy. There’s a good chance that there’s an e-cigarette hidden inside of it.” 

Dobbs also argues that while e-cigarettes may be safer than regular cigarettes, that doesn’t make using them a good idea. “We are starting to see research about the harms to your heart, in particular, and the brain, and the brain during development,” she says. “What we're seeing is people who are exposed to nicotine, which these e-cigarettes have a massive amount of content, that they're having cognition issues with memory and with emotion regulation.” 

You can listen to Dobbs’ podcast by clicking on the link above or by visiting, the home of research and economic development news at the U of A. 

And remember, you can now listen to Short Talks programming wherever you get your podcasts. Previous podcasts can be found at the link above or by visiting arkansasresearch.uark.edu. 

Thank you for listening!