Smoke Without Fire?

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking remains prevalent in Denmark, where one in five individuals smoke, posing a significant health and socio-economic issue. The health consequences of tobacco use lead to fatalities and increased healthcare costs. Although technological advancements have introduced less harmful alternatives, the transition to these has been limited. This raises the question: Despite well-documented health risks associated with traditional tobacco products, why does the Danish consumer not transition to smoke-free alternatives?

Methodology: Through a hypothetico-deductive approach, the study investigates how these theoretical frameworks influence consumer behavior regarding the choice of smoke-free alternatives. This investigation is based on a quantitative questionnaire survey involving 69 respondents. Data from the survey are empirically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics and IBM SPSS Amos Graphics to test the formulated hypotheses and clarify the relationship between variables. Results: The hesitant transition to smoke-free alternatives is a result of several factors. Firstly, the absence of significant factors influencing respondents' choice of smoke-free alternatives. Despite a complex model, only perceived benefits of smoke-free alternatives had a significant impact on respondents' intention to purchase them. Furthermore, the analysis revealed a fragmented market, with half of the segment being skeptical of smoke-free alternatives, contributing to the hesitant transition.

Theoretical Implications: The thesis contributes to current research by combining the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Model to explain consumer behavior regarding smokefree alternatives. Furthermore, our thesis contributes to the existing research by focusing on the Danish market context, which had been relatively unexplored. Our study both confirms and challenges previous literature, offering new insights into the complexities of consumer behavior in this area.

Practical Implications: The thesis provides interventions that can advantageously be implemented from both a corporate and a political perspective to promote the transition to smoke-free alternatives.

Limitations: Future research should consider a mixed-method approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative methods. This would result in a more in-depth investigation of the complexity of consumer behavior. Furthermore, a future analysis should test the model on a larger respondent base. Finally, a future analysis should consider reducing the complexity of the model.