Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38906697›Full record

Observational studyTobacco control2025

Evaluating trends in cigarette and HTP use in Japan and measurement issues in the National Health and Nutrition Survey.

David T Levy, Mona Issabakhsh, Kenneth E Warner, Alex Liber, Rafael Meza, Michael Cummings

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Tobacco control, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Recent Trends in Cigarette and HTP Use in Japan: A Scoping Review.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

David T LevyLombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA dl777@georgetown.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-5280-3612
Mona IssabakhshLombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6674-4537
Kenneth E WarnerSchool of Public Health, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8214-1776
Alex LiberLombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Rafael MezaDepartment of Integrative Oncology, The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Michael CummingsPsychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7103-7017

Funding

Vaporized Nicotine Product Initiation Among Youth in the US, Canada, and England: Methods to Predict Uptake and Policy EfficacyP01CA200512 · NCI · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI FONG, GEOFFREY T · 2016 to 2025
$25.3M
NCI NIH HHS P01 CA200512
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introdutionStudies have reported that the rapid rise in heated tobacco product (HTP) sales in Japan accompanied an accelerated decline in cigarette sales. However, these studies do not distinguish whether those who previously smoked cigarettes became dual users with HTPs (smoking fewer cigarettes) or instead switched completely to HTPs. If HTPs present lower health risks than cigarettes, replacing cigarettes with HTPs is more likely to improve public health than cigarette users continuing as dual users.

methodsTo evaluate the role of HTP introduction relative to smoking prevalence, we examine trends in cigarette prevalence as related to trends in HTP use using Japan's National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) from 2011 to 2019. We develop measures of relative changes in smoking prevalence use by age and gender in the pre-HTP and post-HTP periods. We then analyse prevalence data by year using joinpoint regression to statistically distinguish changes in trend.

resultsCompared with the pre-HTP 2011-2014 period, cigarette prevalence decreased more rapidly during the post-HTP 2014-2017 period, particularly among younger age groups. However, the changing format of NHNS questions limits our ability to determine the impact on smoking prevalence, particularly after 2017.

conclusionsWhile suggesting that HTPs helped some people who smoke to quit smoking, this study also shows the difficulties in eliciting accurate survey responses about product use and distinguishing the impact of a potentially harm-reducing product in an environment subject to rapidly evolving patterns of use.

Indexed as

Data AccuracyNutrition SurveysSmokingTobacco ProductsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsFemaleHumansJapanMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRegression AnalysisSex FactorsHarm ReductionNon-cigarette tobacco productsPublic policySurveillance and monitoringTobacco industry

Identifiers

PMID38906697
PMCPMC11662079

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.