Heated tobacco products and a telemedicine smoking cessation programme: A retrospective study

Objectives: Japan is one of the largest markets for heated tobacco products (HTP), and the number of HTP users, including dual users, is burgeoning. However, it is not yet clear whether a telemedicine smoking cessation programme is helpful for nicotine-dependent people who use HTPs. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the effectiveness of a telemedicine smoking cessation programme for nicotine-dependent tobacco product users, comparing short- and long-term continuous abstinence rates (CAR) from 9 to 24 weeks (CAR9-24) and 9 to 52 weeks (CAR9-52). We divided programme participants into 1) exclusively cigarette users, 2) exclusively HTP users, and 3) dual users. Using logistic regression with inverse probability weighting, an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for CAR was calculated to compare the differences among the three groups. Results: We analysed 733 telemedicine smoking cessation programme participants (exclusively cigarette users, 52%; exclusively HTP users, 31%; and dual-users, 16%) dating August 2018 to October 2020. HTP users had higher CARs than the exclusively cigarettes group in CAR9-24 (aOR, 1.12; CI, 1.02-1.23; p=0.02) and CAR9-52 (aOR 1.09; CI, 0.99-1.19; p=0.08). Conversely, dual users had lower CARs than the exclusively cigarettes group in the CAR9-24 (aOR, 0.85; CI, 0.76-0.95; p=0.004) and CAR9-52 (aOR, 0.88; CI, 0.79-0.97; p=0.01). Conclusions: Exclusively HTP users achieved higher CARs, whereas dual users had lower CARs than exclusively cigarette users over short- and long-term periods. A telemedicine smoking cessation programme may be a reasonable option for exclusively HTP users.