Is IQOS a “heated cigarette”?

The most frequently asked question coming from smokers who discover tobacco heating technology concerns the difference between IQOS and conventional cigarettes.

Unlike popular belief, IQOS is not a "heated cigarette". IQOS is a heated tobacco device, and contrary to cigarettes, it heats tobacco instead of burning it.

Additionally, specially designed tobacco sticks that are used exclusively with IQOS ILUMA devices, differ from cigarettes in size and structure and contain real tobacco from fine varieties. They release a real taste of tobacco. They do not produce smoke and ash and they leave less smell than cigarettes.

Heating VS burning

When a cigarette is lit, tobacco burns reaching high temperatures. This burning process generates smoke and ash.

Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of over 6,000 chemical substances, around 100 of which have been identified as potential causes of smoking-related diseases by public health authorities.

IQOS SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM™ technology heats real tobacco to a significantly lower temperature, ensuring that combustion does not occur. Since there is no combustion, IQOS does not produce smoke and ash. It generates a tobacco vapor that brings you a high-quality tobacco taste experience without leaving a lingering smell on your hands, hair and clothes.

A better choice without tar

Cigarette produces tar*, since it gets burned. IQOS doesn’t produce tar because it heats tobacco instead of burning it.

The conclusion is that IQOS is a heated tobacco device, not a heated cigarette. It’s a better choice for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.

*Tar is the residue from smoke after a cigarette has burned.