• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.4-10
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• 2019

The term new tobacco products (NTPs) refers to the new alternatives to conventional cigarettes. There are several kinds of NTPs in South Korea. The present study discusses the most widely used NTPs namely electronic cigarette (ECs) and heated tobacco products (HTPs). The aims of this study are to evaluate the risk related to the use of ECs and HTPs, introduce policy examples across different countries of management of this issue, and finally, present some policy implications of the problem and our response strategies. Since the advent of ECs, there has been a lot of debate about its risk. Some studies have reported that ECs are less harmful than conventional cigarettes and that they are effective in aiding smoking cessation. Nevertheless, the efficacy of ECs in smoking cessation and its potential health risks are still unclear. However, the obvious fact is that it is not harmless. Regulations on ECs differ from country to country. In many countries, they are strictly regulated as tobacco or toxic substances; however, in the United Kingdom, the use of ECs are included as part of their smoking cessation policy, and in Japan, they are treated as a form of medication. On the other hand, HTPs are the most recently introduced NTPs and they have attained sensational popularity because of the wrongly held belief that they are less harmful to health. So, what about our policy response to these two tobacco products? The research on ECs requires more systematic statistical monitoring, such as monitoring the ratio of dual-users. Further, the new EC smokers should be identified taking into account that the arguments for the use of ECs often emphasize smoking cessation or less risks to health, the government should further strengthen its policy to prevent those claims. The HTPs market experienced a very sharp growth and continues to grow because the government policy is too passive. Taking this as a lesson, it is necessary to approach NTPs, such as HTPs, proactively and increase their contribution to the National Health Promotion Fund by imposing greater taxes on them. Finally, considering the likelihood of NTPs being promoted as a less harmful tobacco product, it is essential to strictly regulate tobacco companies' publicity from the very beginning to ensure that potential consumer s are not mislead.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2023

Background: The use of heated tobacco products (HTP) causes many adverse health effects. Although the use of HTP by adolescents is prevalent worldwide, research related to it is very limited. There is a considerable lack of research related to the current HTP use rather than ever-HTP use. In particular, research related to predictive factors for current HTP use in adolescents is scarce. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze related characteristics according to the current use of HTP among South Korean adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that used data from the Seventeenth Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS). A total of 54,848 students in 2021 were included in this study. Chi-square-test, multiple logistic regression analysis, and chi-square test for trend were used for analyzing related characteristics according to use of HTP. Results: Overall, 715 (1.3%) students responded as having used HTP during the last 30 days among the 54,848 students. It was found that residence type, subjective body type recognition, subjective health recognition, alcohol use, habitual drug experience, close friend current smoking, and conventional cigarette smoking were significantly associated characteristics with the current use of heated tobacco products. Comparing 'very thin recognition' with 'very fat recognition', the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29~2.87) for current use of HTP. Additionally, comparing 'very unhealthy recognition' with 'very healthy recognition', the aOR was 3.82 (95% CI: 2.40~6.07) for current use of HTP. Conclusions: Based on these results, residence type, subjective body type recognition, subjective health recognition, alcohol use, habitual drug experience, close friend current smoking, and conventional cigarette smoking were associated with significantly increased odds of current HTP use. Therefore, the results of this study can provide useful evidence about adolescent behaviors in predicting current HTP use.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.388-397
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the use of heated tobacco products (HTP) and suicidal behaviors such as suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempts among adolescents in South Korea. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. Data was from the 15th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBS) performed in 2019 by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Heated tobacco product use was used as a main independent variable and suicide-related behaviors such as suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were applied as dependent variables. Out of 60,100 students, 57,303 responded. Results: HTP use significantly increased the odds of a suicide attempt and suicide planning among adolescents. After controlling for confounders, when comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.78 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38-2.30) for suicide attempts among adolescents. After controlling the confounders, comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted OR was 1.36 (95% CI: 1.06-1.73) for suicide planning among adolescents. For sadness/despair among adolescents, when comparing 'current HTP users' with 'never HTP users', the adjusted OR was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.11-1.50). However, HTP use had no significant association with suicidal ideation among adolescents. Conclusions: Current HTP users were more likely to attempt to commit suicide, and more likely to plan to commit suicide than never HTP users among adolescents. These results may be useful in developing a scientific basis for designing suicide prevention programs targeting adolescents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.320-332
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• 2024

The aims of this study were to compare the differences in hemodynamics between cigarette smoking and using heated tobacco products (HTPs) and to determine the acute effects of using HTPs on cardiac autonomic regulation. Another goal was to examine the acute cardiac autonomic responses when using different tobacco sticks in HTPs. Sixteen healthy male smokers completed an open-label, randomized, crossover trial consisting of non-smoking (NS), cigarette smoking, and the use of two different HTPs (IQOS with HEETS; lil SOLID with Fiit). Sub-trials, which included NS, lil SOLID with Fiit, and lil SOLID with HEET, were performed on eight smokers among the total subjects. Hemodynamic variables, such as systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate variability were measured before, during, and 30 minutes after using each tobacco product. Using HTPs resulted in a significant increase in both SBP and DBP, comparable to smoking cigarettes. Cardiac sympathetic activity significantly increased, and cardiac vagal tone (CVT) significantly decreased after acute exposure to HTP aerosol, similar to the effects of cigarette smoke exposure. Furthermore, differences in the withdrawal of CVT were observed when using different tobacco sticks in the same HTPs. The findings of this study indicate that acute exposure to HTP aerosol increases the hemodynamic burden and disrupts cardiac autonomic balance, similar to exposure to cigarette smoke. Moreover, depending on the type of tobacco stick inserted into the HTP device, acute withdrawal of CVT may have been enhanced.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.639-650
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• 2023

The levels of harmful components in aerosols from heated tobacco products (HTPs) have been reported to be significantly lower than in cigarette smoke. However, it remains unclear whether the use of HTPs can mitigate the cardiovascular risks associated with cigarette smoking (CS). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a short-term switch from CS to HTP use on cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR). Seven healthy male smokers completed an open-label, randomized, cross-over trial consisting of five days of CS, use of three different HTPs (IQOS use, IQ; lil SOLID use, LS; lil HYBRID use, LH), or non-smoking (NS). Each session was separated by a one-week washout period, and levels of exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate variability (HRV) reflecting CAR were assessed before use of the product assigned to each session and at 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hr after use. Levels of exhaled CO and COHb were statistically significantly reduced only during NS. There were no statistical changes in SBP and DBP within any session. However, in HRV spectral analysis, log-transformed high frequency (lnHF) increased statistically significantly in IQ, LS, and NS, respectively. Normalized HF (HFnu) was significantly increased in NS and LH, respectively. lnHF and HFnu showed significant interaction effects. The findings of this study suggest that a short-term switch to HTPs instead of CS may lead to different distribution patterns of CAR, primarily driven by enhanced cardiac vagal tone.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.155-166
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• 2023

Purpose: Although heated tobacco product (HTP) use among adolescents is an emerging public health problem, little is known about the frequency and quantity of HTP use. Thus, we investigated the associations between the frequency and quantity of HTP use and smoking characteristics (i.e., combustible cigarette [CC] and electronic cigarette [EC] use, and attempts to quit smoking) among CC-smoking adolescents. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from 2,470 Korean adolescents who were current CC smokers. To investigate our aim, we conducted multinomial logistic and logistic regression analyses. Results: We found that daily and heavier CC users had greater likelihoods of more frequent and heavier HTP use. In addition, dual users of CCs and ECs were more likely to use HTPs more frequently and heavily than CC users who did not use ECs. Moreover, daily EC users had the highest risk of frequent and heavy HTP use. The frequency and quantity of HTP use were not associated with attempts to quit smoking. Compared to CC-only use, dual use of CCs and HTPs was not associated with quitting attempts, and triple use of CCs, ECs, and HTPs was associated with a lower likelihood of quitting attempts. Conclusion: HTP use was less likely to displace CC use and promote attempts to quit smoking. Thus, strict regulations are required to prevent the promotion of HTPs as a substitute for CCs or as a means of quitting smoking. Additionally, health professionals should consider preventive interventions for HTP, as well as CC and EC use among adolescents.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.389-397
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• 2019

As the usage of e-cigarettes and its effects on health harms receive attentions, the debate over regulating e-cigarette industry's' social media marketing has been heated. While the industry has aggressively employed social media marketing such as YouTube, little research has examined what kinds of e-cigarette information is delivered to Korean viewers through YouTube. This study investigated the presence of product-related information and health harm information in the videos, and the characteristics of YouTube creators. The proportion of female creators was smaller than male creators, but more than female smoking rates. The results showed that product-related information such as taste, design and convenience was mentioned more than half the videos, but health ham was mentioned less. Videos which mentioned convenience and design tended to not mention health harm. These results could be used to support the current regulation approach over e-cigarette YouTube marketing.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1984.09a
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• pp.257-275
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• 1984

Enzymatic browning is considered desirable in tea and tobacco processing but undesirable in many fruits processing at the present time. It is necessary to understand the nature of the enzyme, phenoloxidase, in order to control browning reactions, and extend its effects to formation of browning products as antioxidants in ginseng. Ginseng exhibits antioxidant activity when incorporated with turkey dark meat patties. The activity in red ginseng showed about two times stronger than white ginseng. One of the phenolic antioxidants from fresh, white and reprocessed white ginseng was identified as phenol 2.6 Bis(1.1 dimethyl ethyl) 4-methyl among several unknown compounds by GC/mass spectrometer. In red ginseng, no phenol 2.6 Bis (1.1 dimethyl ethyl) 4-methyl was detected, the compound may be polymerized by phenoloxidase and form some higher molecular compounds which may possess high antioxidant activity. Phenoloxidase isozymes in fresh Korean ginseng (panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) were extracted with phosphate buffer at pH 7.3. The isozymes were purified through ammonium sulfate fractionation, dialysis and chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose column. Two groups of phenoloxidase were shown to be present, one in the floating agglomerated group and the other in the precipitate. group from the 0.85 saturation ammonium sulfate. The DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, the phenoloxidase isozyme present in the precipitate appears as the first peak (I), and that in the agglomerate in the second peak (II). Isozyme I showed higher activity with catechin and catechal, and isozyme II showed higher activity with p-cresol. The isozyme showed two optimum pH activity one at pH 4.5 and the other at 8.5 with catechin as substrate. Korean ginseng phenoloxidase has high heat stability. When heated at $75^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours, its activity remained $90\%\;and\;80\%$ on phenoloxidase I and II respectively. Phenoloxidase I was most active on (+) catechin followed by p-cresal, catechol and epicatechin. Phenoloxidase II was most active on p-cresal followed by (+) catechin, catechol, p-coumanic acid and epicatechin. Sodium bisulfite, sodium cyanide, ascorbic acid glutachion in the oxidized form, sodium diethyl dithiocarbomate and ethylendiamine tetra acetate (EDTA) acted as inhibitors. Red ginseng color development was initiated by phenoloxidase and finished by a followed sun drying process. The antiaging activity of ginseng may be initiated by the antioxidant in the ginseng.