
The science and vision behind IQOS.
IQOS is the combination of science, technology and vision.

Science behind heated tobacco
We believe in science. We believe it can change the lives of millions of smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke. To this effect, we recruited scientists to work on an important idea: developing smoke-free products that cigarette smokers can switch to if they don’t quit. Hundreds of scientists and engineers at PMI’s global Research and Development centers in Switzerland and Singapore have developed and evaluated IQOS, an innovative electronic device that heats and not burns tobacco. It produces a tobacco vapour that delivers tobacco taste and nicotine.

Why heating is better.
Technology – the world revolves around it. Over the years, it has radically changed our lives for the better. The way we work, the way we communicate, the way we travel. By combining science and technology is how we developed a better alternative to continued smoking without fire, ash or smoke.
IQOS is changing the way adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, can experience tobacco.
IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it for a simple reason: the burning of tobacco emits high amounts of harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide. IQOS HeatControl™ Technology prevents tobacco from burning, which means it significantly reduces the level of harmful chemicals emitted compared to cigarette smoke.

Heating technology.
When a cigarette is lit, the tobacco burns at temperatures of around 600°C. This burning process generates smoke and ash; when a smoker takes a puff, the temperature rises above 800°C at the burning tip.
Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of over 6,000 chemical substances, around 100 of which have been linked to smoking-related diseases by public health authorities.
IQOS HeatControl™ Technology heats tobacco to a lower temperature (less than 350°C), ensuring that combustion does not occur. Because there is no combustion, IQOS does not produce smoke. It generates a tobacco vapour that brings you a high-quality tobacco taste experience with 95% less* harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: It does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free.
* “95% less” represents the average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette (3R4F). See Important Information on IQOS.com
Cigarette combustion is the main cause of smoking related diseases.
Important information: IQOS is not risk free, it delivers nicotine which is addictive. chemicals compared to cigarettes.*Important information: IQOS is not risk free, it delivers nicotine which is addictive. chemicals compared to cigarettes.*


Tobacco vapour vs smoke.
IQOS tobacco vapour contains lower levels of harmful chemicals than cigarette smoke. To demonstrate this, we conducted a comprehensive assessment programme that included 10 clinical studies on aerosol chemistry (as well as data from 18 non-clinical studies), and involved thousands of participants in the US, Japan, UK and Poland. Evidence demonstrates that switching completely to IQOS, while not risk-free, presents less exposure to harmful chemichals compared with continuing to smoke cigarettes.
Cigarette combustion is the main cause of smoking related diseases.
IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it, so it doesn`t produce fire, ash or smoke.
This makes IQOS a better choice compared to continued smoking.
Important information: IQOS is not risk free, it delivers nicotine which is addictive. chemicals compared to cigarettes.*


Indoor air quality.
Indoor Air Quality (“IAQ”) refers to the air quality inside buildings, generally based on the principle of ensuring the health and comfort of the occupants. Temperature, humidity and contaminants are some of the factors that can affect the indoor air quality. But, human presence and activities such as cooking, cleaning or smoking have been proven to have considerable impact.
To enhance our knowledge and understanding the impact of IQOS on indoor air quality we conducted studies simulating “real-world” conditions in an environmentally controlled room. Our testing methods are validated, and ISO accredited.
Our study shows that, because IQOS does not burn tobacco and it does not generate smoke and it drastically reduces levels of harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide, it does not negatively impact indoor air quality. This means that the few compounds we nevertheless detected were found at very low concentrations and far below the maximum exposure levels defined in existing air quality guidelines.

Switching to IQOS.
Our studies show that the satisfaction of those who switched completely to IQOS is comparable to that of those who continued to smoke cigarettes.* Discover more about our scientific assessment journey.
IQOS is not risk-free and delivers nicotine, which is addictive. The best decision any smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
* 3-month clinical study conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each, under near real-world conditions.