Everyone knows it’s dangerous to smoke, but how much do Malaysians really know about it?
ICYMI, we recently found that, through the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, the total number of smokers is estimated to be around 4.8 million Malaysians. And from that:
- Up to 62% of them believe that smoke-free products are actually just as bad or even worse than normal cigarettes.
- 33% of the smokers believe that there is a lack of information available for these smoke-free products.
Of course, it should be every smoker’s goal to quit completely. Hence, we believe it’s time to start educating Malaysians by shedding light on other alternatives out there to guide them in this process.
Here’s what many Malaysians don’t know about:
The differences between cigarettes and smoke-free alternatives such as heated tobacco products (HTP).
If this is you, don’t worry! Here’s our simple breakdown to get you up to speed:
1. Combustion vs heating
Both cigarettes and HTP contain tobacco but the main difference is the act of combustion.
Cigarettes:
- Burns tobacco
- Temperatures reaches up to 800°C
- This causes the release of smoke and ash
HTP:
- Heats up the tobacco instead of burning
- Temperature does not exceed 350°C
- This is scientifically proven to not be hot enough to produce smoke
2. Smoke and ash vs aerosol
Cigarettes:
- Emit smoke and ash
- Smoke and ash contain various harmful chemicals including carcinogens that can cause smoke-related diseases
HTP:
- Only releases aerosol
- Aerosol is composed of water, glycerin and nicotine – all of which are not the cause of smoke-related diseases.
3. Passive smoking
Cigarette:
- Second-hand smoke and ash can affect non-smokers around them through the act of “passive smoking”.
HTP:
- Emits aerosol
- It prevents the act of passive smoking and it won’t affect non-smokers or even the air quality.
Based on these facts, it can be said that heated products can eliminate a lot of the risks that come with burning.
However, HTP is definitely NOT risk-free although it provides a 95% reduction in levels of harmful chemicals and won’t harm non-smokers in the vicinity.
Are Malaysians aware of HTP?
In Malaysia, it is reported that a total of 115,000 adults have made the switch to HTP – which is 2% of the whole smoker population.
And in case you didn’t know, HTPs such as the new lil SOLID 2.0 are actually available in Malaysia at RM99.
It goes without saying that HTPs are still not risk-free and the best option of all is to quit smoking entirely.
But we also understand that it can be hard so just make sure to do ample research and educate yourself on the risks that come with these different products, okay!
The more people we educate, the better the choices we can all make. Whatever the case, know that we’re rooting for you guys in this journey!
