"Lowering the Barrier to Youth Smoking," Experts Warn
Call for Strong Measures Such as a Complete Ban
Flavored cigarettes, which stimulate the desire to smoke with sweet scents such as fruit and candy, are rapidly taking over the domestic tobacco market. In particular, they have been identified as a major factor attracting teenagers and new smokers, raising calls for strong government-level regulation.
According to the "Comprehensive Analysis and Regulatory Measures for Flavored Cigarettes" report, conducted by the Seoul National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the sales volume of flavored cigarettes in South Korea surged from 270 million packs in 2011 to 1.68 billion packs in 2023, representing an approximately 6.2-fold increase. During the same period, their share of the total tobacco market soared from 6.1% to 46.5%.
In particular, "capsule cigarettes," which release flavor when the capsule inside the filter is crushed, have shown remarkable growth. Sales rose from 70 million packs in 2011 to 1.37 billion packs in 2023, marking a 19.6-fold increase.
The research team pointed out, "Flavored cigarettes reduce the aversion unique to tobacco, lowering the entry barrier for teenagers and new smokers and acting as a 'gateway.'"
The report analyzed that flavored cigarettes reinforce the "positive experience of smoking," making it more difficult to quit. In fact, users of flavored cigarettes were found to have a significantly lower success rate in quitting compared to non-flavored cigarette users.
Experts: "Flavored cigarettes must be regulated before it is too late"
According to the Seoul National University research team's policy analysis using the "Korean SAVM Model," if flavored cigarette regulations are implemented starting this year, the smoking rate among men is projected to drop to 18.3% and among women to 2.7% by 2034. These figures are 2 percentage points and 0.4 percentage points lower, respectively, than if current policies are maintained.
Given that the increase in cigarette prices in 2015 led to a 3.8 percentage point decrease in the male smoking rate, the regulation of flavored cigarettes is also expected to have a smoking cessation effect comparable to price policies.
In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the European Union, Canada, Brazil, and other countries have already implemented strong regulations banning cigarettes containing added flavoring substances such as menthol. The report concluded, "South Korea must also introduce effective flavored cigarette regulations to protect youth and promote public health before it is too late."
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