48670519 – advanced personal vaporizer or e-cigarette, close up
In the context of the declining market for tobacco products, manufacturers are looking for new options to deliver nicotine in ways considered less damaging to people`s health. Such a system, developed in recent years, is the “heat-not-burn” (HNB), and the first product to enter the market is the IQOS, based on tobacco heating. The manufacturer claims that this system lowers the amounts of the released carcinogenic substances, compared to traditional cigarettes that burn tobacco.
IQOS actually represents a device designed to heating the tobacco, instead of burning it, and which, theoretically, does not generate smoke or ash. The whole system looks like an external battery; the cigarettes (called HeatSticks) are sold separately, and big Denver distributors market them.
How does IQOS work?
The IQOS system can be found inside a portable charger, which looks like an electronic cigarette. You must attach a HeatStick and the device will heat it through a ceramic surface. You can smoke it for a few minutes (you are allowed about 15 puffs), then you have to put the IQOS back in the battery and wait a few more minutes to recharge.
Basically, with a full load, you can smoke about 20 cigarettes, with a pause of at least 5 minutes between them.
According to the official site, the heat-not-burn technology, is not smoking. Furthermore, a HeatStick is not a cigarette because the tobacco is not designed to be enjoyed by burning it.