The popularity of tobacco alternatives increased after the menthol ban. Czechs expect them to be less harmful and to retain their favourite flavours
Excise duty-free is currently one of the important aspects of the popularity of heated tobacco. However, there are policy proposals that would bring the level of taxation on the two categories of tobacco products closer together over time. 29% of smokers oppose them on the grounds that tobacco alternatives offer guarantees of less harmful tobacco use and would argue for their continued tax advantage. This includes mainly smokers under 50, with a third of support among those with a university degree. Less than half of smokers, on the other hand, would support a consumption tax comparison. While 48% of female smokers would be in favour, among men the proposal does not have nearly as strong a support.
Almost half of smokers address the unavailability of menthol cigarettes by switching to tobacco alternatives not covered by the ban - 23% of them choose heated tobacco, 21% electronic cigarettes, and 2% nicotine sachets. Only a minority of 5% chose to quit smoking. A second, slightly more prevalent, half of menthol cigarette users switched to regular cigarettes without flavour. Tobacco alternatives are perhaps surprisingly more popular among men. A full one-quarter have taken up the use of heated tobacco, and an equal number have taken to electronic cigarettes. In contrast, 56% of women have switched to conventional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are more likely to be used by smokers aged 30 to 50. Seventy per cent of the oldest smokers remained loyal to traditional unflavoured cigarettes.
"Unlike cigarettes, heated tobacco is a relatively new phenomenon - it was only launched in the Czech Republic in 2017. Since then, however, it has been growing dynamically, and this year one in ten tobacco products sold is already heated tobacco. According to market expectations, this trend will continue, with heated tobacco expected to account for 30% of the tobacco market by 2030," said Petr Mestančík, Director of External Relations at British American Tobacco.
The survey also looked at the latest trend in tobacco alternatives - so-called nicotine sachets, whose advantage is often claimed to be the absolute absence of tobacco. The clear leader in this category is LYFT nicotine sachets, which are changing their name to the global brand VELO these weeks. More than half of respondents report having heard of this product, but only 17% have user experience. Women have a greater awareness of them, but paradoxically more experiential and regular users would be found among men. Familiarity with them is mainly among respondents under the age of 30, with respondents' unfamiliarity rising above 50% after the age of 50. The data tentatively suggest that nicotine sachets are more likely to be used by university students with a tendency towards lighter consumption. However, these figures do not take into account the level of trial or repeated use.
Menthol cigarettes were a phenomenon among smokers and were one of the very popular flavoured tobacco products in the Czech Republic. More than one third of consumers used them regularly, and a further 10% had already found a suitable menthol alternative before the adoption of the European Directive.
Survey resultsPhoto: Martin Kubišta
The determining factor for the actual choice between tobacco alternatives seems to be the average daily consumption. Lighter smokers with a consumption of three cigarettes per day tend to prefer e-cigarettes, increasingly switching to heated tobacco as the number increases. Heavy smokers then remain loyal to the classics, with 54% confirming this. Tobacco alternatives are particularly preferred by university students, with up to 55% of users choosing this route after the European ban. For secondary school and primary school and apprenticeship graduates, the share of tobacco alternatives is below the 50% mark.
The survey was carried out by Ipsos for the sponsor British American Tobacco from 1 to 4 September 2020 and involved a total of 1 100 respondents from across the Czech Republic. Data collection was based on a structured questionnaire survey consisting of five closed questions.
