IQOS Smokeless Cigarettes

Is it possible to produce a "smokeless" cigarette that will do less harm than regular cigarettes? The tobacco company Phillip Morris has created a device called IQOS that gently heats tobacco, rather than burning it. The company says that IQOS reduces the level of toxic chemicals produced, compared to regular cigarettes, by over 90%, and therefore it is a healthier alternative than regular cigarettes.

Phillip Morris has spent billions developing IQOS, but is it a good idea? Some health officials are skeptical. For one, the device still delivers nicotine. Health officials are concerned that IQOS may produce a whole new generation of smokers addicted to nicotine. And while nicotine may cause less harm than the toxic chemicals in cigarettes, is also has no known health benefits, so why encourage its use?

Then there's the FDA. Last month an advisory panel to the FDA recommended against approving IQOS for sale in the U.S., saying that while it may be true that IQOS generates fewer of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes, that does not prove that IQOS would cause less harm to human health. It may seem like a fine point and it may be unlikely that IQOS would harm human health (much), but the FDA advisory panel is technically right.

In the meantime IQOS has gone on sale in Japan, so perhaps in time we'll know more about how it affects human health. I just hope for the sake of Japanese smokers that Phillip Morris is right. that IQOS at least proves to be less unhealthy than regular cigarettes.