A burning cigarette emits smoke, while IQOS produces an aerosol when tobacco is heated.
Why is it important to eliminate combustion in smokeless products like IQOS, and what is the main difference that makes aerosol less harmful than smoke?
Let's start at the beginning - the differences between aerosol and smoke.
What is cigarette smoke?
Generally speaking, smoke is the result of combustion. When a cigarette is lit, the tobacco reaches a temperature of about 600°C and begins to burn. When the smoker takes a puff, the temperature at the burning end rises to over 800°C.
Tobacco smoke is produced when tobacco is burned. Cigarette smoke is a highly complex and toxic mixture containing thousands of chemical compounds and carbon-based particulate matter that are produced when tobacco is burned at very high temperatures. According to public health authorities, these combustion-related substances affect health and are associated with smoking-related diseases.
What is an aerosol?
In short, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles and/or liquid droplets in a gas (usually air). Common examples of aerosols are clouds in the sky, fog, or steam. There are many different types of aerosols, and depending on what is creating them, the composition of the aerosol can vary greatly.
When tobacco is heated with IQOS, an aerosol is also released. Since there is no combustion in the IQOS tobacco heating system, the composition of the aerosol is fundamentally different from smoke. IQOS emits significantly fewer harmful chemical compounds compared to cigarettes.*
That's why a complete switch to IQOS is a better choice for your health than smoking.**
Important information IQOS is not risk-free and contains nicotine, which is addictive.
*Reduced levels of many different harmful chemical compounds (excluding nicotine) compared to reference cigarette smoke.
**Based on all available evidence for IQOS compared to continued smoking.