A new tobacco-free heated tobacco product
Meanwhile, the tobacco industry is getting creative in response to such regulations. Last month, British American Tobacco Plc (BAT) launched a herbal rooibos tea version of its Glo device, in nine European markets: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.
Switching from cigarettes to HTPs reduces health risks
Meanwhile, various studies on heated tobacco products have shown their potential benefits and efficacy as smoking cessation tools. The main findings are related to the reduced harm associated with HTPs compared to traditional cigarettes. This is due to the fact that they operate by heating tobacco rather than burning it, leading to reduced levels of the harmful chemicals which are normally produced by the combustion process.
Furthermore, biomarker studies have shown that smokers who switch to HTPs are exposed to less toxic compounds when switching from smoking. In fact, a 2022 review covering data from 11 studies and over 2,600 people, found that smokers who switched to HTPs had lower levels of exposure to harmful chemicals associated with severe health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory problems.
The effectivity of HTPs as smoking cessation aids
Heated tobacco products are also effective at delivering nicotine, making them an effective option for smokers looking to transition from conventional cigarettes to a safer alternative. In fact two Japanese studies included in the review reported drops in cigarettes sales as a result of IQOS entering the local market.
A recent study group of researchers from the University of Catania compared the effectivity of heated tobacco products (HTPs) and electronic cigarettes (ECs) for smoking cessation. The researchers conducted a 12-week randomized trial to compare the effectiveness and product satisfaction between HTPs (IQOS 2.4 Plus) and a refillable vape (JustFog Q16) among participants who had no intention of quitting. A total 211 participants took part in the study. Of these, 39.1% HTP users and 30.8% EC users quit successfully.
In light of all these findings in favour of HTPs, tobacco harm reduction and public health experts have been arguing that banning the flavoured versions of these products will be counterproductive to smoking cessation efforts across Europe.
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