Scientists from George Mason University found that anti-smoking campaigns on Facebook (owned by Meta, which is considered extremist in Russia and banned in Russia) garner the most attention by campaigns that discuss the risks of passive smoking for pets. Research published Journal of Medical Internet Research.
The researchers found that the most popular anti-tobacco campaigns on Facebook were informational and focused on the negative effects of smoking. New information about harmful chemicals and the risks of secondhand smoke for pets received the most attention.
“Anti-tobacco campaigns can use these results to improve their campaigns, engage better publics, and more effectively support reasons for quitting,” the scientists said.
This is the first large-scale social media data analysis to examine major anti-tobacco campaigns in the United States. The researchers also found that large campaigns from government and nonprofits attracted more users than small, local campaigns.