If e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, what types of smoking alternatives do?
While you won’t be able to find “e-cigarette tobacco”, if you are an adult who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products, there are novel tobacco products that you can explore. In this case, heated tobacco may be what you are looking for.
Heated tobacco, or heat-not-burn, is a type of cigarette smoke-free technology. Heated tobacco devices utilize real tobacco that is specially processed and formed into sticks. The tobacco sticks are then inserted into the device, where the tobacco is heated to very specific, controlled temperatures. This controlled heating ensures that the real tobacco does not burn; however, since there is heating involved, tobacco flavors are released, while cigarette smoke and ash are eliminated from the tobacco experience.
IQOS is one example of a heat-not-burn device that utilizes real tobacco, formed into tobacco sticks called HEETS, developed to be used exclusively with IQOS technology. HEETS are made of real tobacco leaf which are specially prepared and compressed. They are also designed to last around 14 puffs, which is around the same amount of time as a cigarette. Moreover, the way IQOS heats the HEETS tobacco sticks are via a heating blade, which means the tobacco heats first (and not the paper wrapped around the tobacco stick), ensuring a consistent tobacco taste and experience. HEETS tobacco sticks are not risk free and are addictive; they contain nicotine, which is naturally occurring in tobacco.
How do I choose between e-cigarettes and heated tobacco?
Once the main difference between e-cigarettes and heated tobacco is understood, it is a matter of personal preference for the adult smoker who is looking for a smoking alternative. E-cigarettes do not contain real tobacco, but rather, utilize an e-liquid which is vaporized, allowing the experience to be smoke and ash free.
On the other hand, heated tobacco products, like IQOS, utilize real tobacco formed into sticks, like HEETS, which provides real tobacco taste, without fire, ash and smoke odor.
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