Can IQOS Help You Quit Smoking? A Veteran Smoker Shares the Answer

Recently, I was browsing online forums and came across a post discussing how the author's father has always had a smoking habit. Despite numerous attempts to persuade him to quit, it was ineffective. Later, she heard that using IQOS electronic cigarettes could help with quitting, so she specifically asked a friend to send one from Japan. However, she later saw online that some people claimed IQOS is harmful, leaving her feeling confused. So, can IQOS electronic cigarettes really help quit smoking? Are they truly harmful to the body? Let's discuss this in detail today.

The power source of electronic cigarettes is a battery, which provides vaporized nicotine. They look similar to traditional cigarettes and mimic the visual, sensory, and behavioral aspects of smoking. Therefore, most people use electronic cigarettes to quit smoking or as a substitute in smoke-free public places. But can IQOS electronic cigarettes help quit smoking? Are they really harmful to the body?

First, let's understand the harms of ordinary electronic cigarettes.

Research indicates that electronic cigarettes can alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating after quitting, assisting in smoking cessation or reducing smoking frequency. However, some studies suggest that electronic cigarettes may not help with quitting. Additionally, some research indicates that electronic cigarettes may contain harmful substances, albeit at much lower levels than traditional cigarettes, but the long-term effects of regular use on health remain inconclusive.

Now, can the new IQOS electronic cigarette help with quitting?

Currently, there is a new type of IQOS electronic cigarette on the market that does not require an open flame, does not produce ash, and is also known as a "heated tobacco product." The principle of IQOS electronic cigarettes is to use electric heating to extract nicotine from tobacco sticks in vapor form, providing a taste comparable to traditional cigarettes. However, this electronic cigarette device requires the use of special tobacco sticks. These sticks are only about one-third the length of regular cigarettes and contain not just tobacco leaves but also two filter tips and a paper-like component whose composition is unknown.

Currently, this type of electronic cigarette is only available in places like Italy and Japan, priced around 600 yuan. The downside is that it is somewhat cumbersome to use, as each charge only allows for about 20 tobacco sticks to be used, although the taste is quite similar to smoking.

According to available information, most studies on "heated tobacco products" focus on in vitro cell studies, animal experiments, or analyses of components in environmental air, with no large-scale human studies or in vivo research conducted. Most studies compare "heated tobacco products" with traditional cigarettes.

Although current research suggests that "heated tobacco products" are less harmful to health than traditional cigarettes and cause less environmental air pollution, it still cannot rule out potential health risks and addiction.

Therefore, to completely eliminate the harms of smoking, quitting is the only solution. However, it can be affirmed that IQOS is significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes. If you want to help your elders quit smoking,

you can first use IQOS as a substitute for traditional cigarettes, and after quitting real cigarettes, gradually quit IQOS electronic cigarettes, which can serve as a transitional tool for quitting.