Japanese Smokers Turn to Heated Tobacco Products

Sep.14.2022
Japanese Smokers Turn to Heated Tobacco Products
Heated tobacco products led to a 34% drop in cigarette sales in Japan, according to a recent study by Frost & Sullivan and tobacco company Philip Morris International. Nico tine replacement therapies were less effective. HTP regulation in Japan is more relaxed than traditional cigarettes.

Kumamaru Hirotani, the vice director of Aoi Hospital in Kawasaki, stated that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as nicotine patches, did not produce the expected results. However, since the introduction of heated tobacco products (HTP) locally, smoking rates have significantly decreased.


In summary, they did not see great success with nicotine replacement therapies. However, since 2014, three heated tobacco products have been officially introduced nationwide in Japan and have penetrated 25% of the total smoking population. As a result, the smoking rate in Japan has successfully decreased over the past three to four years, according to Hiroya in a recent online seminar.


Research Shows That Heating Tobacco Products Decreases Cigarette Sales by 34%


Frost & Sullivan recently collaborated with tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI) to publish a paper titled "Reducing Tobacco Harms and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market". The paper reflects their argument that the introduction of HTP has led to a 34% decrease in cigarette sales.


The commercial viability of Japanese HTP is strongly linked to the significant decline in traditional cigarette sales, surpassing previous rates of decline. Furthermore, even with the introduction of heated tobacco products, all tobacco products (both heated tobacco and traditional cigarettes) continue to experience a decrease in sales. While evidence is mixed, data from the 2019 National Health Survey suggests that 76% of consumers only use heated tobacco products, with only 24% of HTP users maintaining dual use," stated Mark Dougan, Healthcare Consulting Director at Frost & Sullivan.


According to him, the Japanese government distinguishes HTP from traditional cigarettes in terms of tax, health warnings, and indoor usage restrictions, and the regulatory framework for heated tobacco products is usually more lenient than for traditional cigarettes.


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