Heated tobacco products have been around for quite some time but the exposure in Malaysia is still relatively low. Because of this, Malaysians are also not as well-informed on the topic. In case you didn’t know, heated tobacco products (HTP), like IQOS, are essentially products that only heat up the tobacco instead of burning it like normal cigarettes.
However, there are still many Malaysians who think heating tobacco is just as bad as burning it when in reality, HTP is scientifically proven to be less risky than normal cigarettes! Don’t believe us? Read on to find out more about the differences between heating and burning tobacco that most Malaysians are not aware of:
1. Heating is less harmful as compared to burning
The most harmful thing about smoking is not tobacco or nicotine, but it is actually the act of burning tobacco. When a cigarette is lit, the burned tobacco can reach a temperature of over 800°C which will cause it to release smoke that contains harmful chemicals. Meanwhile, with HTP, the process only heats up the tobacco and the temperature does not exceed 350°C which is not hot enough to emit any smoke.
2. Aerosol vs smoke & ash
Instead of producing harmful smoke, HTP only emits liquid-based aerosol when it is being used. This aerosol is mainly comprised of water, glycerin and nicotine. The composition of aerosol is a lot different than smoke and it is found to be significantly less harmful as well.
On the other hand, the smoke and ash that come from smoking cigarettes contain a very complex mixture of chemicals as well as carbon-based solid particles that are created as a result of combustion. Thus, in this case, it is proven that the aerosol from HTP has significantly less harmful toxicants than smoking.
3. There is no passive smoking with HTP
We all know one of the worst things about smoking is how it affects the people around the smoker. It is also found that second-hand smokers are exposed to similar health risks which is definitely an unfair situation.
Since heated tobacco products only emit aerosol, this means that it can eliminate the act of passive smoking and it is a lot safer to be using HTP as compared to smoking cigarettes around non-smokers as it will not affect their health or even the air quality.
4. HTP users are less exposed to diseases
As we’ve mentioned, the smoke from lit cigarettes is proven to be dangerous. Research has found that it actually contains more than 6,000 chemicals and out of those, around 100 have been linked to being the cause of smoking-related diseases such as lung diseases, heart diseases, stroke and cancer.
Meanwhile, with the aerosol from HTP, it is found that there are far lower levels of chemicals in it and there is also no traces of carbon-based particles present which makes it a lot less harsh and harmful to our health.
5. HTP is an alternative for smokers who have a hard time quitting
Heated tobacco products do contain nicotine and can still be addictive which means that they are in no way completely risk-free. However, these products eliminate the process of burning tobacco which is the most harmful element of smoking.
Of course, the best option to stay healthy is to quit smoking altogether but we understand that it can be a long and tedious process. In that case, HTP can serve as a better alternative for adult smokers who would have a hard time quitting this habit. This way, they (and the people around them) would be less exposed to the risks that come with continued smoking.
So, there you have it guys! Ultimately, it’s important to remember that the healthiest option of all is definitely to quit smoking altogether. HTP is only here to provide a better solution as it contains less risk not only to smokers but also to the people around them. So, if you’d like to save yourself from all the dangers of continued smoking but you just can’t seem to quit it, then it might be worth changing to HTP!
If you’re a smoker, would you rather switch to HTP? Tell us your thoughts below!
