A New Ingenious Enemy: Heat-Not-Burn Products

While cigarette smoking is still a major source of morbidity and mortality, e-cigarette usage is skyrocketing, and the tobacco industry is finding new ways to market nicotine. With updated published research highlighting the dangers of cigarette smoking and now vaping, the industry has been developing new techniques and devices that circumvent this research to hook users on tobacco and nicotine. The FDA allowed Philip Morris International (PMI) to sell their heat not burn tobacco products known as iQOS in 2019. By 2019, 49 countries had permitted the sale of iQOS. This commentary summarizes the recent research on heat not burn cigarettes, also known as heated tobacco products and their effects on public policy. We urge policy makers to consider the research published regarding these new products and prevent the widespread use of these products that will harm public health.