Vaping possibly more addictive than smoking: study

More vapers tend to seek nicotine within 5 minutes of waking up

(123rf)

A government-commissioned study showed Monday that use of e-cigarettes, opted by many as an alternative to cigarettes, could be more addictive than smoking.

The study by the Korean Association on Smoking or Health surveyed 800 people aged 20-89 to see how soon they intake nicotine after waking up in the morning. The subjects consisted of 400 people who only smoked cigarettes, 100 who smoked only heated tobacco products, 100 who smoke electronic cigarettes and 200 who combine smoking and vaping.

The assumption was that those who vape or smoke shortly after waking up can be thought of being more dependent on nicotine.

It was found that 30 percent of those who exclusively vape consumed nicotine within five minutes of waking up, which was the highest percentage out of all groups. Some 26 percent of the heated tobacco products users inhaled nicotine in the first five minutes of their day, followed by 18.5 percent of those smoking regular cigarettes.

Researchers also found that 51 percent of using the heated tobacco products tended to smoke 11 to 20 times a day, while the corresponding figure was 45.8 percent for regular smokers.

A growing number of Koreans are opting to use e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products, often as alternatives to smoking. The portion of people who smoke in the country in 2023 was 20.3 percent, the same as in 2018, but the percentage of people using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products increased from 5.1 percent to 8.1 percent in the same period.

There is a widespread belief that vaping is at least less harmful than smoking, with countries like the UK suggesting it as an aid to quit smoking. But the exact effects of e-cigarettes or other forms of nicotine products on the body are still largely unknown.

The study released Monday pointed out that with new forms of consuming nicotine becoming more prevalent, the government needs to come up with new ways to determine nicotine addiction and to help quit — either smoking or vaping. It pointed out that use patterns and nicotine dependence for e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products clearly differ from smokers.