Young people in Southeast Asia are moving from smoking cigarettes to vaping and heated tobacco products (HTPs) instead, a survey of consumer research and data analytics from Milieu Insight said. It surveyed more than 18,000 legal-age adults across Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, studying their consumption trends, flavor preferences, purchase channels, reasons for use, and future adoption.
“The study shows some key factors influencing this trend,” said Gerald Ang, Milieu Insight’s chief operating officer. “One key factor is the variety of flavor, with fruit and menthol flavor dominating consumer choice in alternative nicotine products.
“E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being ‘cheaper’ is also an important reason for using alternative nicotine products.”
Even though Singapore has banned the use of alternative nicotine products, they are still prevalent among people aged 21 to 29, the survey found, with 7.8% in that age group use vapes and HTPs, while 5.7% smoke cigarettes. The study also found that in Singapore, 43% bought these products from online shopping and messaging platforms, 29% bought the alternative nicotine products from friends and family, and 19% bought them on social media platforms.
Ang said the study shows that e-cigarette and HTP use in the region is expected to grow, as a sizeable portion of smokers indicated that they were likely to use alternative nicotine products in the next six months.
In Vietnam, which has also banned these alternative nicotine products, 9.2% of people in the 25 to 34 age bracket are vaping. And in Malaysia, 14.8% of young people between 20 and 29 are using e-cigarettes and HTPs.
