Burning tobacco, which creates harmful chemicals in traditional products, is the root of the problem

While quitting smoking should be the number one priority for the 1 billion + smokers around the world, it is essential to highlight the numerous studies indicating that multiple smokers cannot quit and are unwilling to do so unless presented with suitable alternatives. Scientists are now aiming to switch gears and are developing alternatives to traditional cigarettes that cause less harm on the health of smokers while still being desirable by smokers.

Though the current alternatives are not entirely harmless, science-backed technology is being used to develop products for adult smokers who are either having difficulty quitting or those who do not intend to quit at all but still care for their health.

The science has been clear on the culprit behind smoking for years. In 2013, scientists from Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence confirmed that burning tobacco generates toxic components that result in smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and emphysema.

The scientific reasoning is as follows: The process of combusting tobacco occurs at the burnt tip of the traditional cigarette at a temperature of over 600 ° C. This produces chemical reactions that break down tobacco into thousands of harmful chemicals that appear in cigarette smoke, adding up to over 7,000 harmful chemicals, imminently causing diseases upon inhalation.

A range of products have been developed that replace the burning of tobacco by heating it at a temperature that does not exceed 350 ° C. This temperature, at which tobacco is heated, produces vapor or aerosols rather than smoke, therefore reducing the harmful chemicals present in cigarette smoke, and that are the main reason behind smoking-related diseases

This new technology enables heated tobacco products to reduce the harmful effects associated with the burning of tobacco and the subsequent harmful chemical compounds and substances, thus creating an entirely new option for smokers that fulfills their nicotine needs while decreasing the harm associated with traditional smoking.

This article has been provided by Philip Morris Management Services, Lebanon.