Heated Tobacco Products

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What are heated tobacco products?

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are also known as “heat-not-burn” products. HTPs use electronic heating elements to heat sticks, plugs, or capsules containing processed tobacco leaf into aerosol, instead of burning tobacco like regular cigarettes.¹

HTPs come in different forms. Examples are IQOS and Eclipse HTPs

Are HTPs the same as electronic cigarettes?

No. HTPs are different from electronic cigarettes. The table below highlights key differences between HTPs, electronic cigarettes, and cigarettes.

HTPs²	Electronic Cigarettes	Cigarettes
Heat actual tobacco leaf Contain nicotine from tobacco leaf Produce aerosol, no ash, no smoke	Heat liquids that contain nicotine derived from tobacco Contain nicotine derived from tobacco Produce aerosol, no ash, no smoke	Burn tobacco mixed with chemical additives Contain nicotine from tobacco leaf, as well as hundreds of additives Produce smoke and ash

What are the health effects of HTPs?¹

Nicotine from HTPs is highly addictive and harmful, especially for youth, young adults, and pregnant women
Nicotine exposure is harmful to adolescent brain development
Nicotine is toxic to developing fetuses
Additional research is needed to understand additional short-term and long-term health effects of HTPs use

Are HTPs less harmful than regular cigarettes?¹

Although the aerosol from HTPs contains lower levels of harmful ingredients than regular tobacco cigarettes, it does not mean they are safe
HTPs are not an FDA-approved method to help individuals quit smoking

Is secondhand aerosol from HTPs harmful?³

Aerosol from HTPs contains some chemicals also found in cigarette smoke. People can be exposed to secondhand aerosol from HTPs at lower levels than cigarette smoke
More research needs to be done to understand the health effects of secondhand aerosol created by HTPs

Resources

The Nevada Tobacco Quitline is a telephone service for any Nevada resident who is ready to quit using nicotine, including heated tobacco products.  For more information see our  Get Help Quitting  page.

References

^{1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Heated Tobacco Products. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/heated-tobacco-products/index.html}

^{2. Heated Tobacco Products: A Review of Current Knowledge and Initial Assessments. (2019). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795920/}

^{3. Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Products: A Systematic Literature Review. (2019) https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/28/5/582}

GetHealthy@washoecounty.gov | 775-328-6160

Last modified on 11/14/2023