Frequently Asked Questions
IQOS has been designed to work exclusively with HEETS tobacco sticks, and vice versa.
It is only by using both together that you can take full advantage that the system provides and have been proven by PMI science.
All Philip Morris International studies are based on the use of IQOS with HEETS tobacco sticks.
No. While switching completely to IQOS is a better choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes, IQOS is not risk-free and delivers nicotine, which is addictive. The best option is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
IQOS is a better alternative to cigarettes because it heats tobacco instead of burning it. It provides real tobacco taste without fire, ash or cigarette smoke, and less smell than cigarettes.
IQOS is less likely to bother those around you and leaves less lingering smell on hands, hair and clothes than cigarettes.
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No, IQOS does not produce smoke because it does not burn tobacco. It generates a tobacco vapour that is what you see when using IQOS.
No. IQOS is not a smoking cessation device or intended as a device to quit smoking.
If you are concerned about the health effects of smoking, your best option is to quit tobacco use altogether.
Nicotine is addictive. However, it is not the main cause of smoking related diseases. IQOS delivers nicotine in a comparable way to cigarettes. PMI’s clinical studies show that the amount and rate of nicotine absorbed when using one HEETS™ stick with IQOS is comparable to that of smoking one cigarette.
PMI states that IQOS emits 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. The percentage (95%) refers to the average reduction of the levels of certain constituents prioritised for action by renowned public health organizations such as the WHO and the US FDA, and which are found in IQOS tobacco vapour, when compared to the smoke from a 3R4F reference cigarette. The exact percentage reduction depends on the specific list being referenced. To this effect, PMI collects the tobacco vapour and smoke under the Health Canada Intense machine-smoking regime (55 mL puff volume, 2 second puff duration, 30 second interval puff) using a comparison on a per stick basis. Reduction calculations exclude nicotine.
PMI uses PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. The number of total users PMI reports refers to IQOS users for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 5% of their daily tobacco consumption over the past 7 days, while the number of people PMI estimates have completely quit cigarette smoking refers to IQOS users who have completely quit cigarettes and for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.
It is a cigarette independently designed by the University of Kentucky in the US for scientific research purposes. It is a comparator commonly used in tobacco research, which allows the data of a given study to be compared to that of another study. 3R4F research cigarettes are not commercially available to consumers.
No. While switching completely to IQOS presents less risk to your health, IQOS is not risk-free and delivers nicotine, which is addictive. The best option is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether. However, switching completely to IQOS ILUMA is a better choice to your health than continued smoking*.
Important information: IQOS ILUMA is not risk-free, and provides nicotine which is addictive.
* Based on the totality of evidence available for IQOS in comparison with continuing to smoke. See Important Information on IQOS.com
Nicotine is addictive. However, it is not the main cause of smoking related diseases. IQOS delivers nicotine in a comparable way to cigarettes. Our clinical studies show that the amount and rate of nicotine absorbed when using one tobacco stick with IQOS is comparable to that of smoking one cigarette.
We state that IQOS emits on average 90-95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. The percentage (90-95%) refers to the average reduction of the levels of certain constituents for action by renowned public health organisations such as the WHO and the US FDA, and which are found in IQOS tobacco vapour, when compared to the smoke from a 3R4F reference cigarette. The exact percentage reduction depends on the specific list being referenced. To this effect, we collect the tobacco vapour and smoke under the Health Canada Intense machine-smoking regime (55 mL puff volume, 2 second puff duration, 30 second interval puff) using a comparison on a per stick basis. Reduction calculations exclude nicotine.
Important information: IQOS ILUMA is not risk-free, and provides nicotine which is addictive.
* This is based on the totality of evidence available for IQOS in comparison with continuing to smoke. Reductions in levels of the 9 harmful chemicals the World Health Organisation recommends to reduce in cigarette smoke, which do not include nicotine. It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. See Important Information on IQOS.com.
We use PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. The number of total users we report refers to IQOS users for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 5% of their daily tobacco consumption over the past 7 days, while the number of people we estimate have completely quit cigarette smoking refers to IQOS users who have completely quit cigarettes and for whom PMI HeatSticks represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.