2024
ASA v Acme Vape Ltd (IVG)
The adTikTok unboxing and 'IVG Bar Flavour Test Time!' posts
OutcomeUpheld (CAP 22.12). Not to be made from a public TikTok account.
LessonOld organic posts still count. Audit legacy social accounts.
Regulated vices · Ad policy
Tobacco, vapes and nicotine ad policy on Meta and Google
Tobacco, vapes and nicotine ads are prohibited on Meta and prohibited on Google. Ads must not promote the sale or use of tobacco or nicotine products and related paraphernalia. The phrases most likely to cause trouble include "vape", "nicotine pouch", "wellness vape".
MetaProhibited
GoogleProhibited
Last checked5 October 2026
Meta rules Prohibited
Prohibited (cessation products only)
- Ads must not promote the sale or use of tobacco or nicotine products and related paraphernalia
- Explicitly bans e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco, "Nicotine pouches", nicotine-free and "wellness vapes", hookahs, rolling papers, filters, hookah lounges and cigar bars.
- Only cessation products "approved by either the World Health Organization or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration" are allowed, targeted 18+. "promoting vapes is not allowed in any context.
Sources: transparency.meta.com
Google rules Prohibited
Prohibited
- Ads for tobacco or any products containing tobacco" are not allowed. Examples include snus and chewing tobacco.
- Components and facilitators are banned: rolling papers, pipes, filters, hookah lounges, cigar bars.
- Ads for products designed to simulate tobacco smoking" are banned: herbal cigarettes, e-cigarettes.
- Violations bring a warning at least 7 days before suspension.
Sources: support.google.com
Flagged words and phrases for tobacco, vapes and nicotine ads
11 phrases that often lead to rejection, limited delivery or regulator action. High means the phrase or claim is named in a policy or ruling. Medium means it's our reading of a rule.
| Phrase | Why it's risky | Rule or source | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| vape / e-cig / e-liquid / disposable / puff bar | Banned product category on both platforms | Meta · Google transparency.meta.com | High |
| nicotine pouch / snus / ZYN-style pouch | Named in Meta's ban. Snus named in Google's ban | Meta · Google support.google.com | High |
| wellness vape / vitamin vape / nicotine-free vape | Smoking-simulation products are banned even without nicotine | Meta transparency.meta.com | High |
| hookah / shisha lounge / cigar bar | Banned venues and paraphernalia | Meta · Google support.google.com | High |
| rolling papers / filters / pipes | Banned components | Meta · Google support.google.com | High |
| safer than smoking / healthier / quit with [vape] | UK: no medicinal claims unless MHRA-authorised. US: modified-risk claims need an FDA order | CAP 22.5 · FDA MRTP asa.org.uk | High |
| doctor recommended | Health professionals cannot endorse e-cigarettes | CAP 22.6 asa.org.uk | High |
| candy / bubblegum / unicorn milk flavour imagery | Particular appeal to under-18s | CAP 22.9 asa.org.uk | High |
| try vaping / new to vaping | Encourages non-smokers | CAP 22.8 asa.org.uk | High |
| (missing) WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. | US ads must carry this warning at 20% of the ad area. Missing it in influencer posts led to warning letters | 21 CFR 1143.3 · FDA/FTC 2019 ecfr.gov | High |
| join our affiliate program (vape) | Indirectly promotes unlicensed nicotine e-cigs online | CAP 22.12 (Apollo Vapes 2024) asa.org.uk | High |
Risky creative patterns
- Any promotional e-cig content in UK online media: CAP 22.12 bans paid and unpaid promotion of unlicensed nicotine e-cigs online except factual claims on your own site. TikTok unboxing and flavour tests are breaches.
- Users who are or look under 25 (CAP 22.10).
- Tobacco-brand look-alike design (CAP 22.2).
- Influencer posts without the FDA nicotine warning (US).
- Depicting consumption where tobacco use is the main focus (Meta).
Safer rewrites
Before and after examples. Swap the bracketed parts for your real details.
Before
Grab the new mango ice disposable!
After
(Meta/Google: not permitted) Use owned channels only, with factual product info and age-gated access. UK: factual claims on your own website only.
Before
Vaping: the healthy way to quit.
After
Thinking about quitting smoking? Talk to your local stop-smoking service (cessation messaging, no product promotion).
Before
Our nicotine pouches: zero risk, all buzz.
After
(Ad not allowed on Meta.) For US owned media: include the required nicotine-addiction warning and make no modified-risk claim unless FDA has authorised it.
Before
Doctor-approved e-liquid
After
E-liquid. Contains nicotine. Not for under-18s or non-smokers.
Before
Unbox the IVG bar with us!
After
(Remove from public social.) Product specs page: flavours, nicotine strength, ingredients.
Policy and enforcement history
Google extends its tobacco ban to cigars, pipes and rolling papers worldwide.
FDA nicotine addictiveness warning required (cited in the 2019 letters).
FTC and FDA send 4 warning letters to e-liquid firms over influencer posts without nicotine warnings.
Instagram bans branded content promoting vaping, tobacco and weapons.
Meta tobacco policy change-log entry (contents not stated).
ASA rulings on e-cig affiliate schemes (Apollo, JAC Vapour, Juicemate).
FDA authorises 20 ZYN nicotine pouches via PMTA, the first authorised pouches.
FDA grants ZYN modified-risk orders with a specific lower-risk-vs-cigarettes claim. Exact order date not confirmed.
Case studies
2024
ASA v Apollo Future Technology (Apollo Vapes UK)
The adWebsite 'Affiliate Program' recruiting online promoters with banners and links
OutcomeUpheld. No direct or indirect online promotion via affiliates.
LessonAffiliate recruitment itself can breach the rules.
2019
FTC + FDA v 4 flavored e-liquid sellers (e.g. Hype City Vapors, Solace Vapor)
The adInfluencer posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter endorsing e-liquids with no nicotine warning
OutcomeWarning letters. FDA found the products misbranded. FTC flagged failure to disclose health risks.
LessonInfluencer content counts as advertising and needs the warning.
Rules by country
US
Platform bans. Owned and other media need the 21 CFR 1143.3 warning (20% of the ad area). Modified-risk claims only with an FDA MRTP order.
UK
CAP s.21 (tobacco) and s.22 (e-cigs). Unlicensed nicotine e-cigs cannot be promoted online.
EU
Not researched in depth. Unverified.
UAE
Not verified.
India
Not verified.
Check a tobacco, vapes and nicotine ad
Platform
Runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent or stored.
Your report appears here.Each flag shows the phrase, the rule behind it, a source and a real case where a similar ad got in trouble.
This tool is a pre-launch screen, not legal advice. Meta and Google do not publish banned-word lists, so each flag is a risk signal tied to a published rule, regulator ruling or court case. Policies change often. Data last checked 5 October 2026.