What Are Heat Not Burn Cigarettes?
Heat-not-burn cigarettes do exactly what they say on the tin: heat tobacco without burning it.
Up to now, heat-not-burn cigarettes have been advertised as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes. However, there is very limited research to support this claim.
Research on the safety of using heat-not-burn products is ongoing, and there is currently no independently verified evidence that they pose lower health risks.[1]
This article includes everything you need to need to know about heat-not-burn cigarettes to support you in making informed decisions about your health and wellbeing.
What Is Heat Not Burn?
Heat-not-burn cigarettes – also known as heated tobacco devices, HTPs, HnB products and smokeless tobacco – consist of a battery, heating element and tobacco-filled paper. The heating element warms the tobacco to produce an inhalable aerosol.
In a nutshell, heat-not-burn products heat tobacco without burning it to give the true taste of tobacco with no smoke, no ash and less smell.[2] For this reason, heated tobacco devices are purported to reduce health risks compared to traditional cigarettes.[3]
Unfortunately, leading studies have concluded that, because the devices contain tobacco, heat-not-burn cigarettes come with the same long-term health concerns of any other tobacco product.[4]
Heat Not Burn vs Cigarettes
The main difference between heated tobacco devices and cigarettes is the temperature. Whereas cigarettes are ignited to produce smoke, heat-not-burn cigarettes heat up tobacco (without setting it alight) to produce aerosol instead of smoke.
The devices heat tobacco to 350°C – a significantly lower temperature than traditional cigarettes which often reach 800°C.[5]
But although the lower temperature is not high enough to produce smoke, it is still high enough to release harmful chemicals.[6]
A study led by Breathe, the clinical educational publication from the European Respiratory Society, found more than 20 harmful chemicals in heat-not-burn products in higher amounts than in traditional cigarette smoke.[7]
The same study also found evidence of new chemicals not existing in traditional cigarettes that could be toxic and harmful.[8]
Is Heat Not Burn Healthier?
Researchers at the University of Bath found the quality of evidence available about heat-not-burn products inadequate and at high risk of bias.[9]
Sophie Braznell, Lead Researcher for Bath’s Department for Health, warns that policymakers should be wary of claims made about their role in harm reduction.[10]
Further evidence suggests the aerosol produced by heat-not-burn cigarettes contains many of the same harmful chemicals as cigarette smoke, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and carbon monoxide.[11]
The BMJ found that long term use of heat-not-burn products is associated with reduced endothelial function and increased oxidative stress and platelet activation:[12]
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- Reduced endothelial function – a decreased ability of the endothelium organ to keep blood moving smoothly through the body.
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- Oxidative stress – an increase in the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body.
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- Platelet activation – a disruption to haemostasis (the first stage of wound healing) which triggers thrombosis (the formation of blood clots inside blood vessels).
There is also no evidence that switching to heated tobacco products helps people to quit cigarette smoking.[13]
Heated Tobacco vs Vaping
E-cigarettes are battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) that vaporise e-liquids. Unlike both traditional cigarettes and heat-not-burn cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, which is the most harmful component of a cigarette.[14]
Unlike heated tobacco devices, e-cigarettes are proven to be around 95% less harmful than tobacco products and have the potential to help smokers quit.[15]
Plus, according to the UKVIA, vaping has already helped 2.4 million Brits quit cigarettes for good.[16] You can find out how to stop smoking with our comprehensive Vaping to Quit Smoking guide.
Switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes can have a profound effect on your health – find out What Happens When You Quit Smoking & Start Vaping.
The Best Alternative to Smoking
Despite being sold as less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, the long-term health impacts of heat-not-burn cigarettes are not known.[17]
There is currently no evidence that switching to heated tobacco devices helps people to quit cigarette smoking, and no research to confirm that using heat-not-burn cigarettes is any safer than smoking.
All tobacco products contain toxic, cancer-causing chemicals that can cause serious health problems. According to Cancer Research:[18]
“Smokeless tobacco is harmful to your health and can cause cancer. It [is] not a safe alternative to smoking tobacco.
People who use smokeless tobacco can take in cancer-causing chemicals at levels that are similar to, or higher than, cigarette smoke.
Smokeless tobacco causes mouth, oesophageal (food pipe) and pancreatic cancers. There is some evidence that smokeless tobacco causes other types of cancer as well. But we need more research to say for certain.”
Stop Smoking with OK Vape
OK Vape is the leading independent supplier of cigalikes. Cigalike vapes are simple yet effective electronic cigarettes that are designed to look and feel like a conventional cigarette.
Unlike heat-not-burn cigarettes, cigalikes do not contain tobacco or any of its byproducts. For this reason, cigalikes have become an increasingly popular tool to help people stop smoking and stay quit.
Cigalikes are available in disposable and rechargeable designs, both of which are available in familiar Tobacco and Menthol flavours. Both options are small and lightweight to mirror the comfort and convenience of a conventional cigarette without the harmful byproducts of tobacco.
A cigalike device is the go-to tool for smokers seeking a simple and user-friendly tool to stop smoking with.
OK Cigalike Starter Kits
Our Stance
At OK Vape, we firmly believe that having all the facts is the key to stopping smoking and staying quit.
That’s why we continue to provide relevant, informative, and up-to-date resources to help you make informed decisions about your health.
Check out some of our helpful guides here:
Sources:
- https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/what-are-heat-not-burn-cigarettes
- https://www.iqos.com/gb/en/home
- https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/2/409
- https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2019/02/01/smokeless-tobacco
- https://www.pmiscience.com/en/smoke-free/combustion/
- https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2019/02/01/smokeless-tobacco-5-common-questions-about-heat-not-burn-products-answered/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7249783/#:~:text=There%20is%20currently,to%20e%2Dcigarettes.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7249783/
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/jury-out-on-whether-heated-tobacco-products-are-less-harmful-for-health/
- https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/jury-out-on-whether-heated-tobacco-products-are-less-harmful-for-health/#highriskofbias
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28531246/
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/jan/opinion-heated-tobacco-new-review-looks-risks-and-benefits
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-less-harmful-than-tobacco-estimates-landmark-review
- https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-e-cigarettes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2023.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8296358/
- https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/
