Young smokers in SE Asia are giving up cigarettes for vapes and heated tobacco products

KUALA LUMPUR – Young people in South-east Asia are moving away from smoking cigarettes and towards vaping and heated tobacco products (HTPs) instead, a survey has found.

Across Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, cigarette smoking by those under 35 is on a downtrend, but that group is increasingly using alternative nicotine products when compared with older smokers, according to the survey by consumer research and data analytics firm Milieu Insight.

“The study shows some key factors influencing this trend. One key factor is the variety of flavour, with fruit and menthol flavour dominating consumer choice in alternative nicotine products,” said Milieu Insight chief operating officer Gerald Ang at a press briefing on April 7.

“E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being ‘cheaper’ is also an important reason for using alternative nicotine products.”

The report by Milieu Insight, released on April 7, is titled Cigarettes And Alternative Nicotine Delivery Products: Product Usage And Consumption Behaviour Study In South-east Asia.

It surveyed more than 18,000 legal-age adults, studying their consumption trends, flavour preferences, purchase channels, reasons for use and future adoption.

HTPs are battery-powered devices that heat tobacco leaves to release nicotine emissions, with the aerosol produced inhaled by users.

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 per cent in that age group preferring vapes and HTPs, while 5.7 per cent smoke cigarettes.

The study also found that in Singapore, 43 per cent bought these products from online shopping and messaging platforms, 29 per cent bought the alternative nicotine products from friends and family, and 19 per cent bought them on social media platforms. Some users did not disclose their channels of purchase.

On messaging platforms, the most popular with Singaporeans purchasing