Ramallah - Ma'an - A recent research study conducted by experts at the Institute of Industrial Economics and Trade at Seoul National University in Korea revealed that the majority of smokers of heated tobacco products used traditional cigarettes before switching to modern products that rely on heating tobacco instead of burning it. Experts stressed that switching to heated tobacco products increases the chances of quitting smoking completely, stressing that there is no evidence that heated tobacco products are a gateway to starting smoking. The experts continued: 'The study, which was conducted on about 4,514 adults, responded to these claims that teenagers are turning to heated tobacco products and that they represent a new gateway to attract new smokers. Its results revealed that those who start smoking during adolescence are less likely to choose heated tobacco products, and prefer traditional cigarettes.' The study cited the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in Korea , which revealed that 99.4 percent of smokers of heated tobacco products had either switched from smoking conventional cigarettes or were dual users, while only 0.6 percent were new smokers. The study pointed out that the Korean tobacco market has witnessed a major change since the launch of heated tobacco products in 2017, and their sales volume has increased significantly at the expense of traditional cigarettes. Heated tobacco product sales accounted for only about 2.2% of total tobacco sales in the first year of its launch, while they accounted for 12% in the first half of 2021, at the expense of traditional cigarettes. This has had a positive impact on public health, especially since many scientific studies have confirmed that the main cause of many of the harms resulting from smoking is cigarette smoke resulting from the burning process, which is avoided by products that rely on heating instead of burning. The experts behind the study stressed that these changes in the Korean tobacco market provide an excellent research environment to explore the reasons why smokers are adopting heated tobacco products so quickly, which is of particular importance to policymakers regarding tobacco regulatory laws including taxation and market regulation. The study, which included 2,356 non-smokers, 1,316 traditional cigarette smokers, and 842 heated tobacco product (HTP) smokers, found that adult females, more educated people, those with children, those working in office jobs, and those with higher health concerns were more likely to switch from traditional smoking to HTP. The study also found that adult females aged 20-39 were more likely to switch to HTPs, regardless of their income levels. While males over 40 were more likely to switch to HTPs if they had a higher income. Source: Maan News Agency