Daily Times

When a cigarette is lit, it burns the tobacco in it at around 900°C, producing smoke that contains nicotine along with several other chemicals. This process of burning tobacco is referred to as combustion.

But the problem with combustion is that its not only burning tobacco, it’s also burning and releasing thousands of toxic chemicals along with it. These toxic chemicals are linked to several health complications including deteriorating quality of life and the development of smoking related diseases.

Even though the nicotine present in tobacco is addictive, it’s the combustion aspect that causes most harm to the body. When it became evident that tobacco burning and smoke are the leading causes of harm, several tobacco harm reduction practices have been put into place to minimize the harm. While abstinence is the best option for smokers, quitting it is not as easy as it sounds. Experts all around the world have been working to help facilitate willing smokers to quit cigarettes by introducing less harmful alternatives such as e-cigarettes, vapes, snus, and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

In addition to satisfying nicotine cravings, these alternatives reduce tobacco harm by eliminating the harmful component of burning tobacco. No combustion means that you and the ones around you aren’t being exposed to the toxic chemicals in the smoke.

We can do better in helping smokers quit with evidence-based treatments. The use of heated tobacco products may serve as a pragmatic middle ground to reduce harm and eventually make them quit completely.