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Misinformation on Twitter Adversely Affects Adults’ Health Decisions

Press release issued: 3 September 2021

A new study is the first to explore the effect of misinformation on Twitter about e-cigarette harms.

UK and US adult smokers who were considering using e-cigarettes were deterred when exposed to tweets falsely implying the devices are more harmful than conventional cigarettes, finds new research. The study, published in BMJ Open and led by researchers at the University of Bristol (UK) and the University of Pennsylvania (US), is the first to examine the effect of this type of exposure which has important implications for public health.

Read the full University of Bristol press release

Further information

Paper: Wright C et al. (2021). Effects of brief exposure to misinformation about e-cigarette harms on twitter: a randomised controlled experiment. BMJ Open.  

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