A comprehensive study conducted by researchers from the Korean American Smoke-Free Network (KASSF), commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) in South Korea, reveals a significant shift in the tobacco market over the past five years. Traditional cigarette sales dropped 3.2% during this period while electronic cigarette sales increased by nearly double.
‘연초’ 시대가 간다…5년 사이 전자 담배 소비 2배↑
국내 흡연자들의 담배 소비가 궐련(일반담배)에서 궐련형·액상형 ‘전자담배’로 옮겨가고 있다. 최근 5년간 궐련 판매량은 3.2% 감소했지만, 같은 기간 전자담배 판매량은 약 두 배 가까이 급증한 것으로 나타났다. 담배 연기와 냄새를 줄이고 향을 입힌 가향 담배와 전자담배의 인기는 도리어 흡연 진입장벽을 낮춰 여성과 청소년의 흡연율을 높이는 만큼 정부의 대책이 필요하다는 지적이다.
12일 대한금연학회가 보건복지부 의뢰를 받아 수행한 ‘담배 제품 국내 유통시장 조사 및 흡연행태 심층 분석 연구’에 따르면 2018년 약 64억 갑이던 궐련 판매량은 2023년 약 62억 갑으로 3.2%가량 줄었다. 반면 같은 기간 궐련형 전자담배 판매량은 6541만 유닛에서 1억2220만 유닛으로 1.9배로 늘었다.
South Korean studies consistently show an accelerating trend away from traditional cigarettes towards new tobacco products like e-cigarettes and flavored alternatives. A recent government-commissioned research highlights that South Korea’s overall cigarette demand (excluding heated-not-needleless ones) dropped 30%, whereas the sale of electronic cigarettes skyrocketed by almost 2 times within five years, amounting to over 18 billion won in sales volume.
This shift represents another problem with e-cigarettes: they’ve lowered barriers to entry for new smokers. Studies suggest that easy-to-use and flavorful alternatives are contributing factors behind increasing smoking rates among women and young adults. For example, research found that even a slight increase in electronic cigarette flavors or tobacco blends containing fewer traditional tar/karbon filters makes some youth five times more likely to smoke.
However, the situation is complex, not always beneficial for public health. One issue is synthetic nicotine—merchandise falsely marketed as a harmless alternative often bypasses current restrictions because it doesn’t contain naturally extracted tobacco juice. This undermines regulatory frameworks intended to control tobacco consumption and its harmful effects.
Furthermore, an unexpected consequence is that increased sales of electronic cigarettes (including those with flavors designed to mimic fruit or dessert) might even be pushing traditional smoking rates up at certain demographics previously seen as tapering off—like older men in their 50s or young women. While electronic cigarettes are marketed for harm reduction compared to combustible ones, this trend shows sometimes they simply act as the next form of tobacco access.
My view is clear: yes, reducing cigarette smoke and potentially attracting smokers using more familiar routes requires caution regarding synthetics like e-juice blends and unregulated alternative nicotine products. Despite these issues, I see e-cigarettes as perhaps one potential harm reduction tool on a long list that includes cessation medications alongside traditional methods of gradually lowering tar amounts and filters.
But the current Korean study strongly indicates we need much stronger interventions now targeting new tobacco products. Regulatory approaches should not only focus on controlling combustible cigarettes but actively address how all low-harm alternatives are marketed and used, from flavoring restrictions to classifying synthetic nicotine as a regulated substance.
