Heated Tobacco Product IQOS (Heat-Not-Burn, Reduced but Not Eliminated Toxicant Exposure, Formaldehyde and Acrolein) — household safety profile
Moderate riskIQOS (I Quit Original Smoking), manufactured by Philip Morris International, is a heated tobacco product (HTP) that heats specially designed tobacco sticks (HEETS/Terea) to approximately 350C using an electronically controlled blade or induction system, producing a nicotine-containing aerosol without combustion.
What is this product?
IQOS (I Quit Original Smoking), manufactured by Philip Morris International, is a heated tobacco product (HTP) that heats specially designed tobacco sticks (HEETS/Terea) to approximately 350C using an electronically controlled blade or induction system, producing a nicotine-containing aerosol without combustion. Because the tobacco is heated rather than burned (combustion occurs above 600C), IQOS aerosol contains 80-95% lower levels of many harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) compared to cigarette smoke, including carbon monoxide, acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines. However, 'reduced' does not mean 'eliminated' — formaldehyde, acrolein, acetaldehyde, and glycidol are still present in IQOS aerosol at toxicologically relevant concentrations. The FDA authorized IQOS as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) in 2020 with the limited claim that it 'reduces exposure' to certain chemicals (not that it reduces disease risk), making it the first tobacco product to receive this designation. Philip Morris's own data shows IQOS delivers 70-80% of the nicotine of a combustible cigarette, maintaining addiction potential. Independent studies have found that IQOS heats above its nominal temperature range, potentially approaching pyrolysis conditions at the blade surface.
What's in it
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Active Constituent
Thermal Decomposition Product
Frequently asked questions
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