Smokeless cigarettes not as harmless as claimed, study says

The new “heat not burn” smokeless cigarette devices are not as harmless as their manufacturer claims, according to a new study.

iQOS – which stands for “I quit ordinary smoking” – is made by Philip Morris International, best known as the manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes. PMI, the biggest tobacco company in the world, says its future is “smoke-free”, and it is investing in heated tobacco products, such as iQOS, and e-cigarettes, both of which it says are safer options.

iQOS devices are not yet available in UK shops but have taken off dramatically in Japan, where they are said to have secured over 10% of the tobacco market. They are battery-operated devices into which is inserted a “heat stick” containing a tobacco plug. The heat produces a vapour rather than harmful smoke.

Philip Morris has published results of its own trials into the effects of the device but, say the authors of the study, from the University of California, “these studies appeared in a journal that may have a deficient review process, emphasising the need for independent evaluation of the iQOS”.

Source: theguardian