Use of Single, Dual, and Poly Tobacco Products in Korean Adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of single, dual, and poly use of conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products among Korean adolescent smokers and identify factors related to dual and poly tobacco product use. Data from 4028 current smokers in the 2019 Korea Youth Behavior Web-based Survey were included. Single users accounted for 53.1%, followed by dual users at 24.8% and poly users at 22.1%. The factors influencing dual and poly tobacco product use included male, living in a metropolitan area, risky alcohol drinking, sexual experience, number of cigarettes smoked, secondhand smoke exposure, and easy-to-buy tobacco products. The findings suggest restricting the use of new types of tobacco products in the high-risk group are required to prevent dual and poly use. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide support like education for new tobacco products and smoking cessation, programs for secondhand smoke prevention, or rigorous marketing regulations for adolescents.