What Are the Differences Between HNB Heated Tobacco Products, Traditional Cigarettes, and E-Cigarett

Smoking is a complex psychological and social behavior, and changes in taste, habits, and cultural background are not something that can happen overnight; it is a long-term process. The history of tobacco development is long, and currently, traditional combustible cigarettes still dominate the global tobacco product market. New tobacco products are relative to traditional cigarette products, and there are many types, which have increased with continuous technological innovation.

In recent years, due to increasingly stringent smoking bans and rising health awareness among the public, e-cigarettes and low-temperature heated non-combustible products have gradually entered the market with characteristics such as fashion, convenience, harm reduction, and smoking alternatives, quickly gaining popularity among smokers and developing rapidly. However, at the same time, multiple countries and regions believe that the compounds produced during the heating process of e-cigarettes and the gases emitted still contain harmful substances, which do not help with smoking cessation and pose certain health risks. Issues with e-cigarettes are frequent, and global regulation on e-cigarettes is tightening, with domestic regulatory trends expected to become stricter in the future.

You may have heard of heated non-combustible products; what are the differences between them, traditional cigarettes, and e-cigarettes?

Cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves wrapped in paper, and they may also include filters, chemical additives, or other components. Users light the top of the cigarette to inhale smoke from the unlit end through combustion.

Vaporizing e-cigarettes use e-liquid, which may contain nicotine (extracted from tobacco), glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, and other components. E-cigarettes require a heat source to vaporize the e-liquid, producing an aerosol for users to inhale.

Heated non-combustible products (HNB) or low-temperature herbal products consist of a heat source and plant components, which may be wrapped in paper and resemble cigarettes. However, the temperature at which tobacco is heated is relatively lower than that of combustible cigarettes. The flavor is very similar to traditional cigarettes, and authoritative international studies have shown that harmful substances are reduced by over 90%.

In contrast, heated non-combustible products release fewer harmful substances compared to traditional cigarettes, reducing the harm of smoking to the human body, making it healthier and safer.

Heated non-combustible (HNB) products were first sold by PMI in 2014. They are a new type of tobacco product that combines a device and tobacco sticks, designed as "low-temperature cigarettes" based on the concept of "heating without burning." They use a special heating tool (commonly referred to as a "device") to heat specially designed tobacco sticks to a certain temperature, controlled at around 280°C, allowing the tobacco leaves to be heated just enough to release vapor, providing nicotine and a near-real smoking experience.