Today we will be taking a good look at the iQOS (I Quit Ordinary Smoking) tobacco heating system by Philip Morris, the same manufacturers as Marlboro, and see if meets the level of hype it has gained. We understand that smoking is not for everyone, but the iQOS promises to deliver a cleaner way of smoking, and personally I see it as a stepping-stone in giving up altogether.
If you are a smoker and you haven’t heard of the iQOS yet, that’s mainly because it is not available globally. The iQOS in Japan and since last year is only sold in Russia, parts of Europe and a few more other countries. The demand for the iQOS in Japan outstrips its supply, with the local population having to register weeks in advance to purchase one. The heat sticks on the other hand are readily available in all the convenience stores up and down the country.
This lack of supply has lent to resellers selling the iQOS at a premium, and you will see dozens of sellers on Taobao all asking for a premium.
Firstly we will need to look at a little bit of science behind the iQOS:
At the heart of IQOS are sophisticated electronics that heat specially prepared and blended tobacco. IQOS heats the tobacco just enough to release a flavorful nicotine-containing vapor but without burning the tobacco.
Here’s the key point: the tobacco in a cigarette burns at temperatures in excess of 600°C, generating smoke that contains harmful chemicals. But IQOS heats tobacco to much lower temperatures, below 350°C, without combustion, fire, ash, or smoke. The lower temperature heating releases the true taste of heated tobacco. Because the tobacco is heated and not burned, the levels of harmful chemicals are significantly reduced compared to cigarette smoke.
What is there? A nicotine-containing vapor – not smoke – that makes IQOS a smoke-free product that is appealing to smokers.
How does IQOS work?
IQOS is a tobacco heating system with three main components – a tobacco stick (called HEETS or HeatSticks), an IQOS holder, and a charger.
To use IQOS, a consumer inserts the tobacco stick into the IQOS holder. The IQOS holder contains the electronically controlled heater that heats the tobacco stick. The consumer pushes a button to turn on the heater, and then draws on the tobacco stick to enjoy the real taste of heated tobacco. Once the tobacco stick is finished, the consumer removes it from the holder, and the tobacco stick can be disposed of safely in a waste bin. When needed, the consumer recharges the holder by inserting it into the charger.
So the iQOS heats up the heat sticks rather than normally burning the tobacco. From ask people that are using the iQOS their comments are that there is definitely less smell as there is no burning and no tar.
