HOME Our science The problem with burning OUR SCIENCE The problem with burning 31 Jul 2019 · 3 min read It's a well-known fact that cigarette smoking is harmful and can cause smoking-related diseases. But not everyone knows why that is. Share this Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy Mail The basic ritual of smoking is simple. A smoker lights a cigarette, starting a high-temperature reaction known as burning, or combustion. The consumer draws air through the lit cigarette for a certain number of puffs, until the tobacco leaves and paper are completely burned away, leaving only the ash. The burning of the tobacco produces a complex mixture we call smoke. What’s in cigarette smoke? Cigarette smoke contains flavors from the tobacco blend, as well as nicotine that exists naturally in tobacco leaves. It’s these elements in the smoke that consumers enjoy while smoking. However, the very same burning process that releases the tobacco flavors and nicotine also produces over 6,000 chemicals, of which about 100 have been identified as causes or potential causes of smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and emphysema. OUR SCIENCE Delivering a smoke-free future The role of nicotine Our findings to date What is harm reduction? Why Burning is the Main Problem 0:45 Read more on our science OUR SCIENCE The role of nicotine 3 min read OUR SCIENCE What’s the difference: Heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes 2 min read OUR SCIENCE Demand for less harmful alternatives to cigarettes 4 min read We’ve found other ways to enjoy tobacco—without burning it Since burning tobacco creates so many harmful chemicals, we asked our scientists and engineers to find other satisfying ways to deliver flavor and nicotine for current smokers. Through years of research and development, we’ve developed a new class of breakthrough products that do not rely on the principle of burning—and which we believe are a much better choice than smoking. Since none of these products burn tobacco, they don’t reach the high temperatures, above 600°C, needed to combust material and produce smoke. Instead, we have found several ways to produce a flavorful nicotine-containing aerosol that a consumer can inhale, but that has significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals than cigarettes. Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) Our first products rely on two innovative ways to heat tobacco just enough to release nicotine and flavors, in a vapor form, without actually burning the tobacco. We have two products based on this heat-not-burn principle: One generates heat using an electric heat source that keeps the temperature of the heated tobacco unit strictly controlled. Around 14.9 million smokers have already switched to this product and stopped smoking completely. The other uses a carbon heat source that the consumer lights. However, thanks to product development breakthroughs, the tobacco in the tobacco stick doesn’t burn. Products without tobacco We have also found two other ways to deliver flavors and nicotine without using tobacco. Using nicotine extracted from tobacco leaves, they produce flavorful nicotine-containing aerosols in distinctly different ways. One heats liquid nicotine with an electric heat source to release a vapor, like an e-cigarette, but with significant improvements. Our new approach to e-vapor generation is currently being tested. The other produces an aerosol from nicotine powder without electronics. While not risk-free, all of these breakthrough products are a better alternative to smoking—but the best choice is to quit or not to start smoking. The Difference Between Tobacco, Smoke & Nicotine 0:48 Share this article Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Mail Read more on our science OUR SCIENCE What is harm reduction? 3 min read OUR SCIENCE Heated tobacco products 2 min read OUR SCIENCE Assessing risk reduction 5 min read Quick Links Our Transformation Our Initiatives Our Science Smoke-Free Life Sustainability Careers Our Business Who We Are Corporate Governance Our Standards Our Views Inclusion and Diversity Investor Relations Smoke-Free Products Media Center Suppliers Other Initiatives Unsmoke Your World PMI Science Stop Illegal PMI Privacy Legal Terms of Use Legal Documents Social Media Rules of Engagement Cookie Preferences Cookie Notice Follow us on PRIVACY NOTICE FAQ GLOSSARY CONTACT US COMPANY INFORMATION © Philip Morris Products S.A. We use cookies and similar technologies to give you a personalized experience (to suit your online behavior on this, and other, sites) for our ads, content, and communications; to improve the site; to operate the site; and to remember your preferences. Click “learn more” for more details, or to adjust the settings. You can change your mind at any time by visiting “cookie preferences”. Any personal data about you will be used as described in ourPrivacy Notice LEARN MORE I AGREE TO ALL