53% of smokers to use alternative products in near future, study finds

 

The top reasons cited for using e-cigarettes or HTPs while continuing to smoke include a desire to reduce cigarette consumption and to prevent secondhand smoke.

KUALA LUMPUR: 

A survey has found that 53% of Malaysian smokers are likely to start using alternative nicotine products within the next six months.

The study conducted by Singapore-based market research firm Milieu Insight interviewed 4,213 Malaysians, who were among a total of 18,600 people who took part in the survey in Southeast Asia.

It listed open-tank e-cigarettes, disposable e-cigarettes, pod-based e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTP) as alternative nicotine products those interviewed could opt for.

The study found that 6% of Malaysian respondents were “very likely” to use such products in the next six months, while 24% indicated they were “likely” and 23% were “somewhat likely”.

Milieu Insight chief operating officer Gerald Ang said the majority of respondents in Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam indicated they were likely to use alternative nicotine products. Interviewees in Indonesia and Singapore were the exception in this aspect.

“A sizeable proportion of smokers say they are likely to use them in the next six months, suggesting that the use of these products may continue to increase in the coming months and years,” he said at a press briefing today.

The study found that the incidence of e-cigarette or HTP use in Malaysia was highest among those aged 20 to 29 (14.8%), while regular smoking was lowest among those aged 18 to 19 (7.4%).

E-cigarette/HTP use in Malaysia stood at 12.2% compared with the 19.7% who smoke traditional cigarettes. Many of those surveyed said they both smoked and used e-cigarettes/HTPs.

Ang said the top reasons cited for using e-cigarettes or HTPs while continuing to smoke included a desire to reduce cigarette consumption and to prevent secondhand smoke.

The perception that e-cigarettes or HTPs were cheaper was also a significant factor among those interviewed.

Across Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, e-commerce platforms, social media and messaging apps were major channels for purchasing e-cigarettes and HTPs.

Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop were named as the top e-commerce platforms for such purchases. In Singapore, Telegram was the most-used messaging app for purchasing these products.

European Union-Asean Business Council (EU-ABC) executive director Chris Humphrey called for greater cross-sector cooperation to curb the unchecked online sale of alternative nicotine products.

“(EU-ABC) has been advocating a lot for more public-private collaboration to combat illicit online trade of any product, especially on e-commerce platforms. Messaging platforms are a huge problem.

“Implementing memorandums of understanding involving law enforcement agencies, brand owners and commerce platforms to enable quicker takedowns of illegal sellers is certainly one effective approach,” he said. - FMT