IQOS heated tobacco insights: one straight guy’s take

As a long-time smoker, the term "smoke rations" really suits me. When I used to play games at home, I would smoke one after another, filling the room with smoke; when I was at work, I had to manage a smoking room. When I just got married, my wife and I would smoke together more than eight hundred times. I didn't care at all.

When my son was born, I didn't even dare to smoke at home. Such a lovely little liver, would I want to harm him? I couldn't help it, and I would go to the balcony to solve it. However, in the northern winter, the temperature on the balcony is very stimulating for explosions.

When my sons went to school, they were found to have allergic rhinitis. When they smelled a little smoke, they would sneeze and feel uncomfortable. So, I wouldn't touch smoke at home because of my precious son—smoking at home! Even two hours before I got home, I wouldn't touch a cigarette. Chewing gum before entering the house became a must-do task.

No smoking, and it’s uncomfortable. After much entanglement and repetition, I was determined to quit smoking multiple times, but my willpower was insufficient. During this period, I saw some friends around me playing with e-cigarettes, and I relapsed again. Most e-cigarettes are vaporized. They are powered by lithium batteries, allowing liquid to be vaporized. The heating element of the chemicals turns into water vapor, simulating the production of smoke similar to smoking, and there is no essential difference from cigarettes. It’s all nicotine; it doesn’t feel like this. Can you not go back? Most importantly, this thing is basically traditional cigarettes; otherwise, it produces smoke and harms those around!

As someone who loves to try new things, I came into contact with IQOS e-cigarettes during my quitting period. The feeling of contact surprised me greatly. Because it uses a heating plate to bake and heat rather than burn tobacco, there is no open flame, no coal smoke, and I can go home, lie in bed, and binge-watch dramas, feeling blissful. This was completely unimaginable in the past; I wouldn’t dare to do it in front of my wife. (In fact, I wouldn’t do it at all for my precious son.)

The main advantage of IQOS e-cigarettes is that there is no secondhand smoke, no smoke, so it won’t cause passive inhalation for others. I took three puffs in the office at noon, and others didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t feel like I was smoking. I could smoke at home. My son’s rhinitis had no reaction; I said I didn’t smell any smoke at all.

My personal favorite smoking flavor is Marlboro. It is milder than the original Marlboro flavor. The mixed smoke flavor is light, and the smoke is rich enough to kill cigarettes.

The smoked cotton wool hasn’t changed color, and there are basically no obvious tar and toxic substances. After smoking, the burnt tobacco is charred, and there is a trace of smoke oil and water vapor on the cigarette paper.

At the end of the day, IQOS is currently harder to purchase. Because IQOS is not popular in China right now, plus platforms like Taobao completely prohibit the sale of tobacco, the strength of counterfeit products in China is strong. If you want to try it, you must be vigilant and mark it.