The association between heated tobacco product use and cigarette cessation outcomes among youth smokers: A prospective cohort study

Introduction The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of heated tobacco products (HTPs) with modified-risk information for adults on July 7, 2020. However, the effects of HTP use on cigarette cessation among youth smokers remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the association of HTP use with cigarette abstinence and cessation outcomes among youth smokers in Hong Kong who were willing to receive telephone counseling for smoking cessation. Methods This prospective cohort study included youth smokers aged ≤25 years who were enrolled in the Hong Kong Youth Quitline service. From December 1, 2016, to September 30, 2019, this study identified as HTP users 106 youth cigarette smokers who reported using HTPs on at least 1 of the past 30 days at enrollment, and identified as non-HTP users 473 smokers who reported smoking at least one conventional cigarette in the past 30 days and never using HTPs. The participants received follow-ups at 1 week and 1-, 3-, and 6-months postenrollment. The primary outcome was self-reported 7-day point prevalence of cigarette abstinence (PPA) at the 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included reduction in cigarette smoking (excluding quitters), the number of cessation attempts, and the level of readiness to quit. Results The self-reported 7-day PPA was statistically significantly lower among HTP users than among non-HTP users after 6 months (19.0% vs. 34.2%; p = 0.009), with an adjusted relative risk of 0.47 (95% confidence interval: 0.24–0.91; p = 0.03). The study identified no significant differences in secondary outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions Youth HTP users were less likely to abstain from tobacco use than their non-HTP-using counterparts. These results suggest that HTPs should not be promoted as smoking cessation or reduction aids among the youth population.