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Introduction: No longitudinal study has investigated the impact of cigarette tax increases on retail prices in Vietnam. This study aims to describe changes in the purchase price of cigarettes following an excise tax increase from 70% to 75% in January 2019., Methods: Data were collected from people who currently smoke cigarettes in the longitudinal ITC Vietnam surveys: 1870 participants in Wave 1 (pre-increase), 1564 in Wave 2 (post-increase), and 1308 in Wave 3 (post-increase). Weighted mean self-reported prices of a cigarette pack (with standard error) were calculated for participants who were successfully followed up across three waves. These mean prices were calculated for domestic and international brands, categorized by specific cigarette brands. Percentage changes in mean prices were also measured, and significant differences in mean prices between follow-up waves (Waves 2 and 3) and the baseline (Wave 1) were assessed using paired t-tests. For brands with very small sample sizes, we used non-parametric tests, specifically the Wilcoxon signed-rank test instead of paired t-tests., Results: The weighted mean price of a cigarette pack remained low and stable: VND 12330 (US$0.54) in 2018, VND 12700 (US$0.55) in 2019, and VND 12120 (US$0.53) in 2020 (1000 Vietnamese Dongs about US$0.04345, at 2018). International brands were substantially more expensive than domestic brands, but prices for both remained constant across all waves. Among domestic brands, Thang Long and Sai Gon showed slight price increases of around 3% and 5%, respectively (p<0.05). Among international brands, no statistically significant increase in mean prices was observed., Conclusions: The retail price of cigarettes remains low, indicating that the slight tax increase was insufficient to raise the current retail price significantly. Therefore, a substantial increase in cigarette prices by adding a specific tax is necessary., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2024 Tran T.P.T. et al.)

Introduction: The study aimed to identify predictors associated with long-term tobacco cessation at 12-month follow-up among users of the National Smoking Cessation Services (NSCS) in Korea., Methods: To measure the long-term effect of NSCS delivery, the target sample size of 5167 adult smokers registered in the NSCS in 2018 was enrolled with proportional random sampling. A multiple logistic regression analysis (crude, adjusted) was performed to identify the changes in smoking status at the 12-month follow-up after the last NSCS enrollment and the potential factors associated with changes in smoking status., Results: The response rate to reach the number of subjects targeted was 22.4%. A total of 41.2% of the tobacco users enrolled had successfully quit at baseline, and the 7-day point prevalence of tobacco cessation at the follow-up at 12 months, via a telephone survey, was 34.4%. Factors positively associated with cessation at the 12-month follow-up were longer experience with tobacco abstinence and additional quitting attempts with or without NSCS enrollment, although every additional quit attempt with NSCS use had a better outcome. In addition, having a successful quit outcome with NSCS use at the baseline and having more satisfaction with the service of professional counseling or incentives than others provided by NSCS, increased cessation at follow-up after adjustment of other factors considered., Conclusions: In addition to multiple quitting attempts, longer experience with tobacco abstinence, and additional enrollment in NSCS, the service experience, and satisfaction with the content that NSCS offered, might improve the lasting success of abstinence. These results might be considered to improve the contents and protocols of the NSCS for better outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. All the authors report that since the initial planning of the work their institutions received support from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (11-1352000-002705-01)., (© 2024 Park J. et al.)

Introduction: We measured the short-term clinical and economic impacts of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) smoking cessation program, which subsidizes the cost of pharmacotherapy and medical consultations, by comparing the changes in prevalence and healthcare costs of smoking-related diseases among cessation service users, non-users, and never smokers., Methods: Smokers who used the cessation service from 2015 to 2017 were included (n=779315). We used claims data from the NHIS, a mandatory, single-payer insurance covering the entire Korean population, to determine the number of patients with selected diseases, their healthcare utilization, and medical costs, and compared these amounts in the one year before and after enrollment. For further comparison, we also estimated disease prevalence and medical costs in matched controls by age, sex, income, and residential area, including never smokers and smokers who never used the cessation program., Results: Across all 15 selected diseases, the number of patients, days spent in the hospital, and medical costs for 1 year were consistently higher after service enrollment than before. This pattern was observed for both men and women. Notably, decreased prevalence and medical costs for pneumonia were observed among individuals aged <50 years. Healthcare utilization for any kind of disease for 1 year was 97.7%, 91.1%, and 88.8% among cessation service users, never smokers, and smokers who did not use the cessation service, respectively. The disease-specific prevalence was also highest and increased more in the cessation service users compared with the control groups., Conclusions: Cessation service users were more likely to seek healthcare. Increased healthcare utilization in the first year after cessation service use may have resulted from smoking-related conditions that led individuals to attempt smoking cessation., Competing Interests: The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. All authors declare that since the initial planning of the work, financial support was provided by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare (11-1352000-002705-01) and NRF-2020R1A2C2012295., (© 2023 Oh J.K. et al.)

Introduction: Previous research on post-diagnosis smoking among cancer survivors mainly relied on smoking status, which may not fully reflect the impact of changes in smoking levels. This study aimed to evaluate mortality risk according to smoking trajectories among Korean male cancer survivors, using a trajectory approach to comprehensively capture smoking patterns., Methods: The study included 110555 men diagnosed with cancer between 2002 and 2018 from the Korean National Health Information Database. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify post-diagnosis smoking trajectories among pre-diagnosis current smokers (n=45331). Cox hazards models were fitted to evaluate mortality risk according to smoking trajectories for pooled cancers, pooled smoking-related cancers, smoking-unrelated cancers, and gastric, colorectal, liver, and lung cancers., Results: Smoking trajectories included light-smoking quitters, heavy-smoking quitters, consistent moderate smokers, and decreasing heavy smokers. Smoking significantly increased all-cause and cancer mortality risks in cancer patients for pooled cancers, pooled smoking-related cancers, and pooled smoking-unrelated cancers. Compared to non-smokers, all-cause mortality risk for pooled cancers significantly increased according to smoking trajectories:(AHR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.27-1.40), (AHR=1.39; 95% CI: 1.34-1.44), (AHR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.34-1.54), and (AHR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.36-1.60), respectively. Smoking increased all-cause and cancer mortality risks in gastric and colorectal cancer patients and cancer-specific mortality in lung cancer patients. The significant associations of smoking trajectories with all-cause and cancer mortality risks were primarily observed in 5-year survivors but not in short-term survivors. Among heavy smokers, smoking cessation significantly reduced all-cause mortality risk in the long-term., Conclusions: The post-diagnosis smoking trajectory independently predicts cancer prognosis among male cancer patients. Proactive cessation support should be strengthened, particularly for those who smoke heavily., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2023 Bui T.T. et al.)

Introduction: Smoking behavior can change with time and lead to different health outcomes. This study explored the trajectory of smoking and its relationship with cancer incidence and mortality among Korean male adults., Methods: We used 2002-2018 data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Smoking status was repeatedly measured in four waves of general health examinations provided by the NHIS between 2002 and 2009. Cancer incidence and mortality were tracked from 2010 to 2018. Trajectory analysis was used to identify the patterns of smoking. The hazard ratio was calculated using Cox proportional regression models., Results: For the 2448548 men (≥20 years), 137788 cases of cancers and 41146 cancer deaths were found. We identified six trajectory groups: never smokers, former smokers, new current smokers, decreasing light smokers, steady moderate smokers, and steady heavy smokers. All smoking groups had an increased risk of cancer. The steady heavy smokers showed higher cancer incidence and mortality rate than the steady non-smokers (hazard ratio, HR=1.53; 95% CI: 1.49-1.58 and HR=2.64; 95% CI: 2.50-2.79, respectively). The cancer-specific analysis showed that the larynx and lung cancer incidence and mortality rate of the smoking group were higher than in never smokers., Conclusions: Smoking, even at low doses, increases the risk of most cancers in men. Quitting or reducing smoking, especially at a young age, can lower cancer incidence and mortality. This study may provide more objective results on the relationship between smoking and cancer, because smoking behavior was examined at multiple time points., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2022 Luu M.N. et al.)

Introduction: While tobacco control policies have been adopted and enforced, and anti-smoking campaigns have been conducted, the evaluation of their impact on tobacco quitting is lacking in Korea. Therefore, the effectiveness of tobacco control policies and mass media campaigns to encourage use of the Quitline were evaluated by monitoring call volume on Quitline, which has been in operation since 2006, in Korea., Methods: Tobacco control policies and mass media campaigns, from 1 January of 2007 to 31 December of 2016, were assessed from the review of government documents and the history of law and regulation changes. The corresponding period incoming call volumes of the Quitline were assesed. The average monthly call volume, when policies and anti-smoking advertising were implemented, was compared with that of the whole year or baseline years (2007 and 2008)., Results: Peak call volume occurred in 2010 when the Quitline was directly promoted on television. The call volume in the month the TV campaign aired was 5.5 times higher than the average monthly call volume in the year 2010. A relatively gradual rise in call volume was found from 2013 to 2016 when the tobacco control policies and campaigns, such as Quitline number included on cigarette packs, a fear-oriented anti-tobacco campaign on mass media, and a tax increase on tobacco was implemented, were introduced sequentially. In that period, the average monthly call volume was about five times higher than in 2007 and 2008., Conclusions: Continuous efforts to contribute to tobacco control policies and campaigns by the promotion of the Quitline is a most effective approach to raise quitting attempts. Based on the Korean experience, Quitline data may be useful for assessing the impact of tobacco control policies and campaigns in Asian Pacific countries., Competing Interests: Authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2019 Park J.)

Introduction: To evaluate the level of tobacco smoke exposure in taxis in Korea using tobacco specific environmental markers., Methods: From June to September 2012, cross-sectional measurements of air nicotine levels and dust nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) concentrations were conducted in 17 taxis in Goyang, Korea. Field investigators completed an observational questionnaire on building characteristics, smoking policies and evidence of smoking. Descriptive statistics including geometric means (GMs) ± standard deviations were produced for air nicotine levels and dust NNK concentrations., Results: There was no evidence of active smoking in the 17 taxis monitored, despite the fact that 10 drivers were current smokers. The overall GMs of air nicotine and dust NNK concentration were 0.42 μg/m 3 and 6.78 pg/mg, respectively. These levels were 3.4-fold and 2.6-fold higher in taxis whose drivers were current smokers compared to the taxis of nonsmokers (GM of air nicotine: 0.65 μg/m 3 vs 0.19 μg/m 3 ; GM of dust NNK: 10.07 pg/mg vs 3.85 pg/mg)., Conclusions: The present study shows that air nicotine and dust NNK were detected in all taxis regardless of whether the taxi driver was smoking or not, which indicates the potential for exposure to SHS or THS. It suggests that an appreciable level of SHS and TSH exposure might occur if the environment is not completely smoke-free and enforcement is lacking., Abbreviations: THS: third-hand smoke, SHS: second-hand smoke, FCTC: Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control, NNK: 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, LOD: limit of detection, GM: geometric mean, GSD: geometric standard deviation., Competing Interests: Authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported.