Heat-Not-Burn Technology: What Is It?

When you heard the phrase “Heat-Not-Burn,” what was the first thing that came to mind? Heat-Not-Burn gadgets are causing quite a stir in a world full of options, but do we truly understand the science behind them?

Technology That Heats Not Burns: A Smokeless Fix

Heated tobacco products, also referred to as Heat-Not-Burn goods, are an alternative to smoking.

When conventional cigarettes are smoked, the tobacco is burned, breaking it down and producing smoke that contains over 6000 compounds, 100 of which are known to cause or may cause disorders associated to smoking.

Heat-not-burn technology, in contrast to traditional smoking, warms specially made tobacco sticks rather than burning them, creating a flavorful vapor with fewer dangerous chemicals and a smokeless, fulfilling tobacco experience.

Technology That Does Not Burn: A Safer Option

One of the main benefits of Heat Not Burn Technology is safety; research suggests that the vapor from devices that are disliked for smoking has less toxic substances than cigarette smoke[1]. You may investigate a variety of items intended for harm reduction and responsible tobacco use with our ISMOD devices.

Smokeless tobacco: answers to five frequently asked questions concerning “heat not burn” items

Products marketed as “heat not burn” or “heated tobacco” are electronic cigarettes that, in contrast to e-cigarettes, heat tobacco leaf to a high temperature without igniting it.

This distinction is significant. The devices come with all the long-term health risks associated with tobacco smoking since they contain tobacco. And since the tobacco industry is extensively funding the creation, marketing, and study of these new products, it is imperative to know what is contained in them.

How then do they function? Are they secure, too? We spoke with Dr. Ed Stephens, a University of St Andrews researcher whose study has studied the effects of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and heat-not-burn products on health, to learn more.

What does hot tobacco contain?

The way heated tobacco products operate is by heating tobacco sticks with electricity to produce an inhaled vapor. Along with other tobacco particles and chemicals, the mist also contains nicotine from traditional tobacco smoking.

Stephens states, “I don’t like the term heat not burn.” “There are two meanings to the word burn.” The first involves lighting anything, like a candle or cigarette, such that it ignites and burns continuously until the fuel runs out. The second method involves heating an object until the edges start to burn – similar to what happens when you leave a cake in the oven for too long. Turn off the oven to put an end to the scorching. Products that don’t burn like cigarettes do so because the tobacco is “cooked,” sometimes even charring. Thus, “heat not combust” might be a better moniker.

The tobacco is heated to 350C (662F) by the devices, which is far lower than regular cigarettes, which burn at temperatures as high as 900C (1,652F). However, the temperature is still high enough for the vapor to contain dangerous compounds.

Is it safe to use hot tobacco?

There is some data that suggests that heat-not-burn products might be less dangerous than smoking, most of it from studies supported by the tobacco industry. According to studies, the device’s vapor has less dangerous substances in it than cigarette smoke. However, the amounts of those compounds were still greater than what is typically seen in e-cigarettes.

Furthermore, heat not burn products still contain tobacco, therefore we do not advise individuals to start using them in place of nicotine replacement treatments or e-cigarettes.

“These are tobacco products, and we are aware of tobacco’s long-term effects, which include at least 15 different forms of cancer,” states Stephens.

It’s too soon to tell how long-term use of heat-not-burn goods will effect someone’s health. Studies on these tobacco products are still in their infancy and are mostly supported by the tobacco industry rather than by independent investigators. Because the tobacco business has a long history of exaggerating the harm caused by its products and seeks to promote their new ones, the results might be less trustworthy.

Is heated tobacco equivalent to an electronic cigarette?

No. The primary distinction is that e-cigarettes do not include tobacco leaf, whereas heat not burn products do.

Furthermore, nicotine isn’t always present in e-cigarettes. However, things don’t always burn when heated.

Many pieces of data point to the fact that e-cigarettes are not only potentially helpful in helping individuals stop smoking tobacco, but they are also significantly less dangerous than smoking. However, there isn’t any data supporting heated tobacco products.

Can using hot tobacco aid in quitting smoking?

There is currently no proof that converting to heated tobacco products aids in quitting smoking cigarettes.

Using NHS Stop Smoking Services increases your chances of successfully quitting smoking or using any other type of tobacco product by about three times as compared to quitting on your own. To give you the best opportunity of successfully quitting, these agencies may talk to you about the many choices that are available and offer assistance. They can also assist you in trying to stop using e-cigarettes if medicine hasn’t been successful for you in the past.

How well-liked is hot tobacco?

1.7% of British people were reported to have tried a heated tobacco product in 2017. In contrast, 19% of individuals reported having tried an electronic cigarette.

According to Stephens, “the use of heat-not-burn products is relatively high in a country like Japan.” However, e-cigarettes containing nicotine are prohibited in Japan, while public health organizations in the UK have actively pushed them. Heat not burn is less common in the UK, and this might be one of the reasons. In addition, they are far more recent on the market and cost more than e-cigarettes.

However, Stephens issues a warning, stating that the tobacco industry will make a stronger global push for these goods. “The tobacco industry is going to throw a ton of money at this in any way they can because their long-term survival depends on the success of heat not burn and e-cigarettes.”

The skinny on heat that doesn’t burn

Longer-term research is necessary, according to Stephens, as there are still many unresolved issues regarding the immediate and long-term health effects of consuming heated tobacco. However, even if these goods aren’t as bad as cigarettes, he still wouldn’t suggest them.

“If a relative of mine smoked, I would suggest that they try quitting using the standard method of nicotine replacement therapy, ideally with assistance from a Stop Smoking Service,” adds Stephens. “And if that didn’t work, I would advise them to try an electronic cigarette and visit a stop smoking service for support.”