Vapeboss – In 2021, Frost & Sullivan collaborated with tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI) and produced a paper titled, "Tobacco Harm Reduction and Novel Nicotine and Tobacco Products: Evidence from the Japanese Market," which found that the introduction of Heated Tobacco Products (HTP) led to a 34% decline in cigarette sales.

"The commercial availability of HTP in Japan has been associated with a significant decline in conventional cigarette sales, well above the previous rate of decline. Moreover, even after Heated Tobacco Products became available, sales of all tobacco products (Heated Tobacco Products and conventional cigarettes) continued to decline. Despite diverse evidence, data from the 2019 National Health Survey shows that 76% of consumers exclusively use HTP. Only 24% of HTP users maintained dual use," said Mark Dougan, Consulting Director, Healthcare, Frost & Sullivan.

2021 Data: Japan's domestic cigarette sales down 8.2%

Similarly, Japan Tobacco International's third-quarter results for 2021 showed that Japan's domestic cigarette sales fell by 8.2% following an 8.9% decline in the previous quarter.

This pattern was observed in 2018, with the Financial Times reporting that IQOS, Philip Morris's heated tobacco product, reduced cigarette sales in Japan. According to the report, "traditional cigarette shipments" declined by more than 7% in 2018, which followed an 11.5% decline in the first quarter of 2017. Meanwhile, "heating unit" shipments increased from 1.2 billion to 6.4 billion during that period, while during that quarter, nearly 9% of PMI's global revenue came from reduced-risk products.

HTPs play a major role in reducing cigarette sales

Compared to 2016, reported cigarette volumes have now decreased by 42%. A 2020 American Cancer Society research study concluded that heated tobacco products likely reduced cigarette sales in Japan. Another 2020 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reached the same conclusion, with both studies stating that "the acceleration of the decline in cigarette sales alone since 2016 is consistent with the introduction and growth in sales of heated tobacco products."

Similar patterns have been observed in the UK and Sweden. The UK has achieved its lowest recorded smoking rates thanks to supporting the use of vaping products for tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation. Meanwhile, Sweden has achieved smoke-free status by legalizing snus and embracing its use as a safer alternative to cigarettes.

Source: Vapingpost