What exactly is smoke-free tobacco and how is it different to the ‘classic cigarette’?
In Partnership with Philip Morris Switzerland Sàrl
Today, there are approximately 1.1 billion cigarette smokers globally and the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts this number is unlikely to change much by 2025. Whilst millions of smokers quit tobacco each year, hundreds of millions do not. Public health campaigns, smoking restrictions and cigarette taxes work to deter some smokers, but for many, the taste and experience are more important.
To phase out combustible cigarettes for good, alternative and practical options are needed for smokers. Smoke-free tobacco products offer adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke a better alternative because they have the potential to significantly reduce the average levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. Yet, they still provide adult smokers with an experience similar to the real thing which can make switching less challenging for smokers.
What are smoke-free products and how do they work?
Heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes (vapes) are examples of smoke-free products. They are non-combustible alternatives designed to emulate the experience of a cigarette’s taste, experience and enjoyment and have been in development since the 1990s. Over the past ten years, Philip Morris International (PMI) has invested more than $8 billion (€6.90 billion) into the science and research of developing their smoke-free products.
Most HTPs and e-cigarettes work electronically with similar parts including a charger and a heating device to release the flavours and the nicotine. HTPs heat tobacco leaves, which creates an aerosol the user inhales, whereas e-cigarettes derive nicotine and flavours from a liquid.
Why are these alternatives called ‘smoke-free’?
Smoke-free products do not produce smoke because there is no combustion. The heating of either real tobacco or a nicotine containing liquid creates respectively a tobacco vapor or an aerosol rather than the smoke and fumes caused by the burning of cigarettes.
What is the main difference between smoke-free tobacco products and combustible cigarettes?
The key difference is that smoke-free tobacco products heat tobacco. Burning tobacco (with a flame) releases over 6,000 chemicals and at least 100 of those, such as carbon monoxide, are proven to be toxic. These toxins enter the lungs and body when a smoker inhales.
There is no smoke when tobacco is heated and this significantly reduces the release of harmful chemicals. This tobacco alternative however is not risk-free and contains the addictive substance, nicotine. The best option for smokers is to quit tobacco altogether.
What about tar?
Tar is the harmful residue left over once the nicotine and water are removed from cigarette smoke. It’s not the same material used to pave roads! There is no tar in smoke-free products because there is no combustion. Generally, tar is not used as a measurement for smoke-free alternatives.
If smoke-free products still contain nicotine, why do they have the potential to significantly reduce the average levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes?
Many smokers and non-smokers believe that the nicotine in cigarettes is what leads to smoking-related diseases. Whilst nicotine is not risk-free, is addictive and can have some pharmacological effects including increased heart rate and blood pressure, it is not the primary cause of related diseases.
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said “it is primarily the toxins and carcinogens in tobacco smoke - not the nicotine - that causes illness and death”. As explained above, these toxins are released from the burning of tobacco.
Where can I find more information?
There are many web-based resources about smoke-free products, often providing unverified information. However, trusted sources such as www.pmiscience.com/smoke-free provide an in-depth exploration of the research and development behind this constantly evolving technology.
There is no better option than to quit tobacco altogether. But for smokers who cannot or won’t quit, switching to smoke-free alternatives supports harm reduction. Backed by science and technology, they should be considered as one amongst a range of solutions needed to solve a complex and enduring health problem.
What is ‘harm reduction’?
The ‘harm reduction equation’ is about finding practical and relevant alternatives which cause less harm when compared to the original thing. Harm reduction alternatives in other industries could include fat-free milk, sugar-free cake or hybrid cars (powered through a mix of electric and fossil fuels).
In this context of tobacco, the best option for smokers is to quit and for non-smokers to never start. In reality though, hundreds of millions of smokers around the world will continue to use tobacco and nicotine.
Products that have the potential to significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes can have a material impact on public health if a significant amount of adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke convert to smoke free alternatives.
It is important that these alternatives are satisfactory enough for adult smokers to consider switching completely. They should resemble, for example, the taste, experience and enjoyment which smokers look for in cigarettes. Designing products with the end-user always in mind is critical to increasing the chances of success.
Harm reduction is about solutions, backed by science and technology, that can be considered as one amongst a range of solutions, alongside cessation and prevention, needed to solve the problem of smoking.