FDA Finds iQOS Output To Be Less Harmful Than Cigarette Smoke In Preliminary Review

In a preliminary review of the iQOS, a heat-not-burn device made by Philip Morris, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found the output of the iQOS to contain lower levels of both harmful and potentially harmful compounds than the conventional cigarettes that they, along with e-cigs, are actively replacing.

iQOS By Philip Morris — This is the iQOS by Philip Morris, a heat-not-burn (HNB) device designed to heat tobacco to create an aerosol or vapor. (Credit: SimonDes / Philip Morris International)

The iQOS, which was first launched in Japan less than a handful of years ago in 2014, heats tobacco instead of burning it. With traditional cigarettes and pipes alike, tobacco is burned, which in turn creates smoke. The iQOS and devices like it don’t actually burn tobacco as no combustion takes place. Instead, they heat the tobacco to the point at which an aerosol or vapor is released. By the FDA’s account, the output contains less harmful compounds than the smoke created by burning cigarettes. In other words, the FDA’s preliminary findings are in line with a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the notion that vaping is less harmful than smoking.

The final results of the FDA’s pending study from which this preliminary assessment was released is expected to be made available for public consumption later in 2018.

Philip Morris, which is based in Switzerland, is almost certainly hoping that the FDA’s final assessment on their iQOS will allow them to market it as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.

What do you think, is vaping less harmful than smoking? You can share your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.