Electric smoking system
An electrically-heated heat not burn electric smoking system, also known as a heated tobacco product or heat-not-burn tobacco product (HNB),uses an electric heating element to char tobacco, at a lower temperature than a conventional cigarette or pipe.[not in citation given] The result is a smoke that contains nicotine, other chemicals, and particulates. These products may match some of the behavioral aspects of smoking. Some tobacco companies claim these products are less harmful to consumers than other types of cigarettes, but there is no reliable evidence to support these claims.
Heat-not-burn ( Electric smoking system ) products first came to market in 1988, however they were not a commercial success. These products are currently being re-introduced by large tobacco companies.
Health effects
E-cigarette smoking machine smoking four electrically-heated smoking devices in parallel. There is a lack of independent research, and the conclusions of internal industry research have been challenged
There is not enough research to evaluate the level of harm of these products. A 2016 Cochrane review found that it was unclear whether using these products instead of conventional cigarettes would “substantially alter the risk of harm”. Also in 2016, the WHO noted that some scientists believe these products to be as harmful as traditional cigarettes, and stated that no convincing evidence had been presented for industry claims of lowered risk and health benefits. Independent research is not available to support these claims; they are based on industry-funded research. Independent 2018 reanalysis of data from industry research has found deficiencies and omissions in the evidence used to support the industry’s claims.
Carlos Jiménez, director of research on smoking at the Spanish Society of Pneumonology and Thoracic Surgery stated in 2017 that these products are still harmful. Action on Smoking and Health stated in 2016 that due to “the tobacco industry’s long record of deceit” regarding the health risks involving smoking, it is important to conduct independent studies into the health effects of these products. Marketing slogans like “heat-not-burn” ( Electric smoking system ) cannot be a substitute for science.
The effects of second-hand exposure are unknown.
Addiction and quitting
Such products are believed to be just as addictive as conventional cigarettes. Nearly half of people using these products had never used conventional cigarettes, according to a small survey done in Italy. This has caused concern that the products might cause nicotine addiction rather than reduce harm to those who already smoke.
There is not enough evidence to know if HnB products help with quitting smoking.
Pregnancy
The effects of smoking HnB devices during pregnancy are unknown. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, mothers are advised not to use any products containing nicotine, as nicotine harms the fetus. One 2010 review concluded “Overall, the evidence provided in this review overwhelmingly indicates that nicotine should no longer be considered the ‘‘safe’’ component of cigarette smoke. In fact, many of the adverse postnatal health outcomes associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy may be attributable, at least in part, to nicotine alone”.
History
Steam Hot One, a Japanese variant of the Eclipse made by Japan Tobacco. Philip Morris’ Heatbar pictured without a specifically designed cigarette.
The first commercial heat-not-burn product was the R.J. Reynolds Premier, a smokeless cigarette launched in 1988 and described as difficult to use. Many smokers disliked the taste. It was shaped like a traditional cigarette, and when heated the smoldered charcoal moved past processed tobacco containing more than 50 percent glycerin to create a smoke inlcuding aerosolized nicotine. It did require some combustion. In 1989, after spending $325 million, R.J. Reynolds pulled it from the market months later after organisations recommended to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restrict it or classify it as a drug.
The Premier product concept went on to be further developed and re-launched as Eclipse in the mid-1990s, and was available in limited distribution as of 2015. Reynolds American stated that the Revo was a “repositioning” of its Eclipse. R.J. Reynolds’ Revo was withdrawn in 2015. Electric smoking system
Philip Morris International (PMI) launched a cigarette in 1998 that was placed into an electronic heating device as Accord. The battery-powered product was the size of a pager. The product was marketed as “low-smoke”. Ads claiming reduced risk were drafted, but never released; an attempt was made to get the Surgeon General of the United States to endorse it without requiring long-term studies on its health effects. Few people started using the Accord, and almost all users also continued to use regular cigarettes. The Accord was discontinued in 2006, eight years after it came on the market.
In 2007 PMI launched the Heatbar, which was nearly identical to the Accord. The Heatbar was around the size of a mobile phone and was said to heat specifically designed cigarettes rather than burning them. The only benefit was to lower second-hand smoke, which lead to Heatbar being discontinued. Heatbar did not obtain any significant user reception. Accord and Heatbar are predecessors of PMI’s current heat-not-burn ( Electric smoking system ) tobacco products.
The ubiquitousness of electronic cigarettes and growing dissatisfaction with not providing a throat-hit may present an opportunity for heat-not-burn ( Electric smoking system ) ( tobacco products. These products are currently being introduced by large tobacco companies. PMI anticipates a future without traditional cigarettes, but campaigners and industry analysts call into question the probability of traditional cigarettes being dissolved, by either e-cigarettes or other products like iQOS.
