A few years ago, when Philip Morris International launched IQOS, which stands for I Quit Ordinary Smoking, it was touted as an “innovation to end cigarette smoking.”
So how does IQOS work? Like vapor cigarettes and other e-cigarettes on the market, IQOS heats a tobacco stick instead of burning it. The resulting vapor, which looks like smoke without fire, is called heated tobacco.
What’s in an IQOS Kit?
The IQOS is similar to a vape pen and can be described as a tobacco stick with a chamber that heats the stick. The user then draws the vapor into their mouth.
The contents of the IQOS Kit include:
- 2 batteries
- 1 charger
- 1 pack of 5 flavor cartridges (5 x 24 pieces)
- 1 cleaning brush for flavor cartridges
- 1 cleaning brush for mouthpiece and filter
- 1 pack of cotton pads for filter cleaning
- 10 filter rings
- Heatsticks (two-pack)
- HeatSticks Holder
- Mouthpiece covers
How is IQOS Different From Cigarettes?
The IQOS heats tobacco leaves. Because no burning occurs with IQOS, the process emits less smoke than traditional cigarettes. However, both products contain nicotine and potentially harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and acetone, which form when tobacco is burned or heated at high temperatures.
