REDUCING HARM
The facts about tobacco alternatives
Despite the growth in the alternative tobacco market which includes vapes, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, many adult smokers remain unaware or confused about how these products compare to combustible tobacco.
A recent study commissioned by Philip Morris International (PMI) found that of the 30,000 adults interviewed in over 26 countries, almost half thought e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products were either more harmful or as harmful as cigarettes.
Is heated tobacco as harmful as cigarettes?
wrongly believed these
technologies are as harmful.
We interviewed with nearly
30,000 adults in 26 countries around the world
Heating tobacco instead of burning it generates significantly fewer harmful chemicals
Alternative tobacco products, although not risk-free, are better alternatives than combustibles because the tobacco isn’t burnt, thus fewer toxins are inhaled by the smoker. Within PMI’s products, data to support this has been validated in pre-clinical and clinical trials.
Whilst the very best option is to quit tobacco altogether, the second best option is to reduce the level of harm. Alternative tobacco products that have the potential to reduce harm - much like fat-free chocolate, hybrid fuel or low-salt snacks do in other industries - are effective solutions for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke.
Having factual, science-based information available so adult smokers can evaluate their health choices is a critical step in fighting this global health problem. Nearly eight in 10 respondents said adult smokers should have accurate information about smoke-free alternatives available and 87 per cent of current adult smokers also shared this view, according to the same study.
Different solutions
needed for a complex problem
After centuries of use, smoking tobacco is embedded into the fabric of many communities and people’s lives. This makes the eradication of cigarettes complex as many smokers do not want to stop, or cannot.
Philip Morris understands this and has been developing products that are satisfactory alternatives for smokers for over a decade as it marches toward its vision of a ‘smoke free future’.
The products use different technologies that replace the burning of tobacco - a primary reason why they are better alternatives. Electronics, for example, heat tobacco or an e-vape vaporises nicotine containing liquid. PMI has begun research into other innovative methods including nicotine salt and carbon heating source.
What’s the science behind the products?
Alternative products take years to develop and require long and detailed testing. Understandably, the tobacco industry is highly regulated so any new tobacco product that aims at reducing harm must be thoroughly evaluated to prove that it is accurate. To do this, over $8 billion (€7.13 billion) has been spent by PMI on developing, scientific, manufacturing and commercialization technological expertise in Switzerland and across the world.
Each new concept starts with a platform development phase, then pre-clinical laboratory studies examine the product and ensure that it does not pose a greater harm compared with combustibles. Scientists should be confident that toxicology and lab results prove this before the next phase of R&D begins.
PMI investment in global R&D
Clinical trials are then conducted to test the heated product with adult smokers. The objective is to see if it will lower the toxicology risk when compared with combustibles. The effects are measured in the clinical trial alongside adult smokers who continue to smoke regular cigarettes and others who stop smoking.
During these phases, PMI also measures how these products are used in a non-clinical environment. How are they adapted into a social, work and home environment where cigarettes are typically used? Does the user and those around them perceive alternative products to be a better alternative, or not? It’s important these products work with smokers' lives and habits too. That way, they have the best chance of switching totally.
What the results say so far
Because heated tobacco generates no combustion and no smoke, the aerosol emits, according to laboratory tests, an average of 95 per cent lower levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents compared to cigarette smoke. This however does not mean that these products are risk-free.
Other studies found that heated tobacco products reduce the yellowness found on smoker’s teeth. Additionally, the aerosol is not a source of second-hand smoke unlike with combustibles.
PMI’s heated tobacco product generate 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes
Although it is not risk-free, PMI’s heated tobacco product emits 95% lower levels of harmful constituents compared to cigarettes.
“Results to date give us confidence that we are on course with our plans to demonstrate that heated products are a less harmful alternative for adult smokers who switch completely”
a spokesperson from PMI said.
It’s important to note that research into tobacco alternatives is not only undertaken by Philip Morris International. Numerous global independent research organisations have looked into PMI’s leading products and those of the wider industry. There are 279 independent publications available on the data and analysis of PMI’s smoke-free products or the wider product category. Most of which confirm PMI’s own key findings.
Ongoing studies continue to evaluate the long-term impact of heated tobacco products, the results of which have been published in over 486 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters around the world.
Accessible and factual information
PMI will continue to invest in research and development and engage in factual debate with government, regulators and civil society about the potential of alternatives as one of the many solutions needed to fight this global health problem.
Like with many enduring health and social problems, solving the smoking is not a black or white answer. Giving smokers access to science-based information so they can make the most informed decisions for their health is the right thing to do. This is part of the many steps towards making combustible cigarettes history within 10-15 years in some countries.