A new seven-page summary from the STOP network reviews the research on heated tobacco products, also known as HTPs, of which Philip Morris' brand IQOS is the market leader. One problem is that much of the research comes from the tobacco industry, so more independent research is needed, according to the summary.
Heated tobacco products are marketed as “smokeless” or “non-combustible.” The tobacco industry claims that the products do not burn tobacco, but rather heat it to a temperature sufficient to release an aerosol containing nicotine.
However, several studies question the industry’s “smoke-free” claim. One study specifically on PMI’s IQOS found that “the vapor from the product is both an aerosol and smoke.”
Certain harmful and potentially harmful constituents, including carcinogens, are present in higher concentrations in the vapor from HTP than from cigarette smoke, according to the summary.
“There are three key things that policymakers and consumers need to know,” says Sophie Braznell, co-author of the executive summary and lead researcher on a new academic paper analyzing biomarker data from heated tobacco products.
“First, these tobacco products have harmful effects. Second, there is no clear evidence that they are safer or less safe than other tobacco and nicotine products, not even cigarettes. Third, there is a lack of independent research of the quality that can help us draw any conclusions about the effects of real-world use. In effect, users are paying tobacco companies to be part of a real-time experiment that can lead to illness and premature death,” she says.
