Japanese Study: Heated Tobacco Launch Hurt Traditional Cigarette Sales
A new study shows that since heated tobacco products were introduced to the Japanese market, sales of traditional cigarettes have been significantly impacted nationwide. Japan is the world’s ninth-largest cigarette market, and unfortunately smoking rates
A new study shows that since the launch of heated tobacco products (HTP) in the Japanese market, traditional cigarette sales have been severely impacted nationwide.
Japan is the ninth-largest cigarette market in the world, and sadly, the smoking rate remains high. However, the introduction of heated tobacco (sometimes referred to as HnB) has had a significant effect on reducing the local smoking rate.
Researchers utilized data from the Japan Tobacco Association and PMI, finding that since 2016, the sales of traditional cigarettes in Japan have accelerated their decline by five times, corresponding with the increase in HnB sales. Nancy Loucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), stated: "It is shocking to realize that the decline in smoking rates among Japanese adults has only been achieved through the introduction of HnB."
Researchers from Canada and the United States (including renowned harm reduction advocate Professor David Sweanor) have been exploring the potential relationship between cigarette sales and HnB sales in Japan from 2011 to 2019. HnB was launched in Japan at the end of 2015, and researchers from the Japan Research Institute and Philip Morris International (PMI) found that since 2016, the sales of traditional cigarettes in Japan have accelerated their decline by five times, corresponding with the increase in HnB sales.
Titled "What is the Reason for the Rapid Decline in Japanese Cigarette Sales?" the study was published on May 20 in the peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Sweanor explained that despite Japanese regulations excluding combustible cigarette alternatives, Japan has proven to be a successful model for reducing tobacco harm.
"In major markets, we see the fastest decline in cigarette sales. A third of the cigarette market has disappeared in a short time, achieved through non-coercive measures. Smokers have simply been offered a viable alternative."
Public perception of the harm of HnB compared to cigarettes in Japan
Another recent study aimed to determine smokers' perceptions of the health risks associated with using HTP compared to combustible cigarettes. The study, titled "Perceptions of Harm of Heated Tobacco Products Compared to Combustible Cigarettes Among Adult Smokers in Japan: Results from the 2018 ITC Japan Survey," collected data from 2,614 exclusive smokers and 986 dual users. Participants were asked to report their perceptions of the harm of HTP compared to cigarettes and their exposure to HTP advertising in the past six months.
The aggregated data indicated that among all smokers, 47.5% believed that HnB was less harmful than cigarettes, 24.6% believed it was equally harmful, 1.8% believed it was more harmful, and 26.1% were unsure.
Compared to exclusive smokers, dual users were more likely to believe that HnB was less harmful (62.1% vs. 43.8%, p < 0.0001), and they were less likely to report being unsure (14.3% vs. 29.4%, p < 0.0001).
The researchers concluded that HnB users are more likely than non-users to believe that the product is safer than regular cigarettes, and this belief is more pronounced among frequent users. Similarly, smokers who had been exposed to advertising were more likely to believe that HnB was less harmful than cigarettes.
