Alcohol, smoking and vaping on camera: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and more
The short answer
Drinking, smoking or vaping on camera mostly limits who sees a video; selling it or linking to a shop is what gets it removed.
- TikTok keeps adults smoking or vaping, and cannabis, off For You even when it's incidental, and does the same for drinking in some regions it doesn't name.
- Instagram, Facebook and Threads show drinking, smoking, vaping and drink recipes to adults only, and the same goes for speaking positively about cannabis.
- YouTube limits ads on videos that promote tobacco or vaping, age-restricts dispensary promotion and e-liquid reviews, and removes links to sellers.
- Snapchat doesn't recommend tobacco, vapes or cannabis on screen, even legal adult use, and X doesn't recommend glamorized drinking, vaping or drug use.
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Threads
- Snapchat
At a glance
| Platform | What can happen | Its strictest rule |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Taken down, Shown to fewer people | Selling alcohol, vapes, drugs or medicines |
| YouTube | Taken down, Age-restricted, Demonetized | Selling or linking to drugs, alcohol or other regulated goods |
| Age-restricted | Drinking, smoking or vaping on camera (adults only) | |
| Age-restricted | Drinking, smoking or vaping on camera (adults only) | |
| X | Shown to fewer people | Promoting drug, alcohol, tobacco or weapon use |
| Threads | Age-restricted | Drinking, smoking or vaping on camera (adults only) |
| Snapchat | Shown to fewer people | Smoking, vaping or cannabis on screen |
| Taken down | Drugs, marijuana, tobacco or excessive drinking |
The rules, side by side
Each row is a platform's own rule: what it means, what the platform says, how to fix it, and where to read it in full.
| Platform | The rule, in plain words | In their words | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Selling alcohol, vapes, drugs or medicinesRemovalTrading, marketing or giving access to alcohol, tobacco or vapes, illegal drugs, prescription or over-the-counter medicines, whippets, poppers or other regulated substances.Fix: Remove the sale offer, prices, codes and contact or link. | “Alcohol, tobacco or vaping, drugs, or other regulated substances” | |
| TikTok | Adult smoking, vaping or cannabis on cameraNot recommendedAdults shown using tobacco or vapes, or cannabis or cannabis-related items shown or promoted, even incidentally.Fix: Cut the frames with smoking, vaping or cannabis. | “Showing or promoting gambling and gambling-like activities, cannabis or cannabis-related items, adult tobacco or vaping use, or firearms or explosive weapons” | |
| TikTok | Adults drinking alcohol (some regions)Not recommendedAdults shown having or drinking alcohol. Only applies in some regions TikTok does not list publicly.Fix: If your audience is in a strict region, cut drinking shots. | “In some regions, showing adults having or consuming alcohol” | |
| YouTube | Selling or linking to drugs, alcohol or other regulated goodsRemovalSelling, linking to or giving contact details for alcohol, nicotine or vapes, drugs, prescription medicines without a prescription, counterfeit documents or money, stolen financial data, explosives, organs, endangered species, sex or escort services, unlicensed medical services, or human smuggling.Fix: Remove purchase links, contact details and sales pitches. | “Don't post content on YouTube if it aims to directly sell, link to, or facilitate access to any of the regulated goods and services listed below.” | |
| YouTube | Dispensary promotion or e-liquid reviewsAge restrictionContent promoting a cannabis dispensary or reviewing brands of nicotine e-liquid.Fix: Expect an 18+ restriction; remove promotional framing if you want full reach. | “Content that reviews brands of nicotine e-liquid.” | |
| YouTube | Promoting tobacco or vapingDemonetizationPromoting tobacco, vapes, e-cigarettes, rolling papers or herbal cigarettes, helping sell them, minors vaping, or drinking vape juice. Vape reviews get limited ads.Fix: Remove tobacco or vape sponsorships and on-camera vaping that isn't needed. | “Promoting products designed to simulate tobacco smoking” | |
| InstagramFacebookThreads | Drinking, smoking or vaping on camera (adults only)Age restrictionDepicting consumption of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine or vapes; alcoholic drink recipes; promoting tobacco brands; legitimate businesses selling alcohol or tobacco; invitations to venues where alcohol is served.Fix: Cut the drinking, smoking or vaping shots if you want teen reach; otherwise expect the 18+ limit. | “Content depicting the consumption of alcohol products or beverages or sharing recipes for alcoholic beverages.” |
|
| InstagramFacebookThreads | Cannabis or psychedelics promotion (adults only)Age restrictionSpeaking positively about or encouraging use of cannabis/THC products or entheogens (psychedelics), dispensary business posts, CBD sales, marijuana paraphernalia, admitting to taking prescription drugs.Fix: Keep paraphernalia and positive use talk out of the video if teen and non-follower reach matters. | “Content depicting marijuana paraphernalia.” | |
| X | Promoting drug, alcohol, tobacco or weapon useNot recommendedContent that promotes using regulated substances or weapons without being a sale (for example glamorized drinking, vaping or drug use, or showcasing guns).Fix: Keep products incidental and off-center, and drop 'how to use' or glamorizing framing if you want reach to non-followers. | “Content that promotes the use of regulated substances or weapons.” | |
| Snapchat | Smoking, vaping or cannabis on screenNot recommendedShowing tobacco, nicotine (vapes, pouches) or cannabis products or paraphernalia, even legal adult use.Fix: Cut or crop shots that show these products. | “While our Community Guidelines do not prohibit Snaps of adults using these products in places where they are legal, these Recommendation Eligibility Guidelines deny amplification to such content.” | |
| Snapchat | Heavy or dangerous drinkingNot recommendedExcessive or dangerous drinking by adults: chugging large amounts, drinking near heavy machinery or vehicles, drinking to slurred speech or passing out.Fix: Show moderate drinking only, or cut the drinking scenes. | “content that shows excessive or dangerous alcohol use by an adult, such as rapidly consuming large quantities of alcohol, or operating heavy machinery while intoxicated or while alcohol is present, or drinking to the point of slurred...” | |
| Drugs, marijuana, tobacco or excessive drinkingRemovalMarijuana products and paraphernalia, illicit or synthetic drugs, tobacco or nicotine products, promotion of excessive drug or alcohol use, or unauthorized selling of alcohol, supplements, steroids or prescription drugs.Fix: Remove drug or tobacco content and any unauthorized selling. | “Promotion of excessive drug or alcohol use.” |
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