What is Heated Tobacco?
2 min read
Heated Tobacco products, also known as heat-not-burn products, heat real tobacco, rather than e-liquid, to release a nicotine-containing vapour without burning the tobacco. The heating process results in formation of vapour rather than smoke, which is produced through combustion.
What are heated tobacco products and how do they work?
Our heated tobacco product IQOS ILUMA, combines an electronic device, with specially-designed heated tobacco sticks called TEREA.
The IQOS ILUMA and IQOS ILUMA PRIME devices contains two parts – a holder and a charger. Whereas the IQOS ILUMA ONE has an all-in-one design. All of the IQOS ILUMA devices use innovative SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM™ technology based on electromagnetic waves which heat the TEREA tobacco sticks from the inside.
Unlike a vape product, which uses liquid, IQOS devices heat real tobacco for a satisfying taste experience. The generated vapour that the user inhales contains nicotine, which is naturally present in the tobacco. IQOS provides cigarette-like satisfaction¹, with one TEREA stick lasting roughly the same duration as a cigarette. TEREA are also available in eleven carefully-blended tastes, to match a user’s unique taste preferences. And with a recommended retail price of £6 TEREA tobacco sticks are less than half the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes².
Is heated tobacco safer than smoking?
Smoking causes serious diseases and is addictive. Without a doubt, the best choice that any smoker can make is to stop tobacco and nicotine use altogether. However, for those adults who do not or will not quit, switching completely to IQOS is a better choice than continued smoking and emits 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*
Important Information: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free.
* ”95% less” represents the average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette. See Important Information on IQOS.com
Is heated tobacco the same as vaping?
Heated tobacco is not the same as vaping — here are some of the key differences between the two:
• Electronic cigarettes heat liquids (referred to as e-juice or e-liquids) to produce a vapour; these liquids do not contain tobacco.
• Tobacco heating systems do not use e-liquids; they heat real tobacco to produce a nicotine-containing tobacco vapour.
Philip Morris International’s goal is to replace cigarettes with smoke-free products that – while not risk-free – are a better choice than smoking. Thanks to over a decade of expert scientific research and substantial financial investment, IQOS can provide smokers with an alternative to cigarettes that does not burn tobacco and therefore produces no smoke and no ash.
IQOS is the leading smoke-free product in the UK³ and studies¹ show that the satisfaction of those who switched completely to IQOS is comparable to those who continued to smoke cigarettes.
To help discover if IQOS is right for you, our Try Before You Buy programme means you can Try IQOS for 14 days in the comfort of your home for just £10. At the end of the trial, you can choose to keep the device and pay the difference, or simply return it free of charge. Click on the link to begin your smoke-free journey today.
¹ 3-month clinical studies conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each under real conditions (ambulatory)
* Claim compares (i) the cost of smoking an average priced pack of cigarettes (with king size filter) per day, and (ii) the cost of buying an IQOS ILUMA ONE Starter Kit (RRP £39), and then consuming one pack of TEREA daily (RRP £6). In April 2023, the average price for a pack of cigarettes with king size filter was £14.40 (ONS data). Savings will vary depending on IQOS ILUMA model and Starter Kit selected. For further information, visit iqos.com/legal
³ Nielsen data as of September 2020, which encapsulates “smoke-free” product categories - e-cigarettes (hardware and consumables).
