Region-specific factors surrounding electronic inhalable nicotine products
| Japan | Republic of Korea | England | Canada | USA | |
| Year that contemporary HTPs were first introduced | 2014 | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 |
| Availability and sales of HTP | The HTP market is diverse and includes many brands and device subtypes, including tobacco stick-based devices and several ‘hybrid’ devices. In 2020, comprised 99.5% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | Tobacco stick-based devices and ‘hybrid’ devices are available for purchase. In 2020, comprised 86.7% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | Opening of a London-based IQOS boutique storefront and has expanded to other regions. In 2020, comprised 3.4% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | IQOS and glo have been marketed in major cities. In 2020, comprised 4.5% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | IQOS has been marketed in a limited capacity and authorised to the market through FDA’s premarket tobacco product application process. Loose-leaf vapourisers (eg, PAX) are accessible for purchase as well, and Ploom TECH (rebranded as Logic Vapeleaf) is sold online in six states. In 2020, comprised 0.1% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. |
| Sales of NVP | In 2020, comprised 0.4% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | In 2020, comprised 3.1% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | In 2020, comprised 96.4% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | In 2020, comprised 81.6% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. | In 2020, comprised 44.8% of ‘Smokeless Tobacco, E-Vapour Products and Heated Tobacco’ sales*. |
| Use of cannabis | In 2021, the past-year prevalence of cannabis use among individuals aged 15–64 years old was estimated at 0.1%†. | Recent measures of prevalence of use are lacking; however, just 8072 illicit cannabis plants were eradicated in 2019, equivalent to 0.2% of that in the USA‡. | In 2018, the past-year prevalence of cannabis use among individuals aged 15–64 years old was estimated at 7.6%†. | In 2017, the past-year prevalence of cannabis use among individuals aged 15–64 years old was estimated at 14.8%†. | In 2018, the past-year prevalence of cannabis use among individuals aged 15–64 years old was estimated at 19.4%†. |
| Nomenclature | Verb: preferred Japanese verb for smoking tobacco approximately translates to ‘inhaling a tobacco product’, which further complicates differentiating HTP and conventional cigarette use. | Verb: preferred Korean verb for smoking tobacco approximately translates to ‘inhaling a tobacco product’. Use of similar terms: Korean legal term for HTPs translates to ‘cigarette type electronic tobacco’, and NVPs often are referred just as ‘electronic tobacco’. | – | – | – |
*According to Euromonitor International sales data (https://www.euromonitor.com).
†According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2021 (https://dataunodc.un.org/data/drugs/Prevalence-general).
‡United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2021. Drug Market Trends: Cannabis & Opioids. World Drug Report 2021.
FDA, Food and Drug Administration; HTPs, heated tobacco products; NVPs, nicotine vaping products.