The science and vision behind IQOS.

IQOS is the combination between science, technology and vision.

Close up of a chef's hands opening a jade green IQOS ILUMA device.

Science behind heated tobacco.

Philip Morris International ("PMI") believes in science. PMI believes it can change the lives of millions of smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke. To this effect, PMI has recruited scientists to work on an important idea: developing better alternatives to cigarettes that adult cigarette smokers can switch to if they don’t quit. Hundreds of scientists and engineers at PMI’s global Research and Development centers in Switzerland and Singapore have developed and evaluated IQOS, an innovative electronic device that heats and does not burn tobacco. It produces a tobacco vapour that delivers real tobacco taste.

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free. It delivers nicotine, which is addictive.
A moss green IQOS ILUMA device.
Close up of woman taking jade green IQOS ILUMA Prime device from holder.

Tested to the highest standards.

IQOS has gone through robust scientific assessments, including, to-date, 18 non-clinical and 10 clinical studies involving thousands of participants. 

The totality of evidence available shows that, while IQOS use is not risk-free, switching completely to IQOS is a better choice than continuing to smoke.*

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free. It delivers nicotine, which is addictive.

* Source: Based on the totality of evidence available for IQOS in comparison with continuing to smoke.

Close up of a hand holding a jade green IQOS ILUMA device.
Illustration of IQOS ILUMA device.

Why heating is better.

Technology – the world revolves around it. Over the years, it has radically changed our lives for the better. The way we work, the way we communicate, the way we travel. By combining science and technology is how PMI developed a better alternative to continued smoking. IQOS is changing for the better the way adult smokers, who would otherwise continue to smoke, can experience tobacco. 

IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it for a simple reason: the burning of tobacco emits high amounts of harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide. 

IQOS ILUMA SMARTCORE INDUCTION™ technology and IQOS HeatControl™ technology prevent tobacco from burning, which means they significantly reduce the number and level of harmful chemicals emitted compared to cigarette smoke.

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free. It delivers nicotine, which is addictive.

Illustration of IQOS HEATCONTROL BLADE TECHNOLOGY™
Illustration of IQOS heat-not-burn device temperature functioning at 350°C.

Heating technology.

Cigarettes burn tobacco, reaching high temperatures, and producing ash, tar, and smoke with high number and levels of harmful chemicals. Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of over 6000 chemical substances, around 100 of which have been linked to smoking-related diseases by public health authorities.


IQOS ILUMA SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM™ technology and IQOS HeatControl™ technology heat tobacco to a lower temperature, ensuring that combustion does not occur. Because there is no combustion, IQOS does not produce smoke. It generates a tobacco vapour that brings you the real tobacco taste experience with 95% less* harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.

Important information: it does not necessarily equal a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk-free.

* "95% less" represents the average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette. See Important information on IQOS.com.

A jade green IQOS ILUMA device and charger.

Burning a cigarette generates smoke and tar. This is not the case when tobacco is heated with IQOS. Why?

IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it. It generates a tobacco vapor that is fundamentally different from cigarette smoke and which contains significantly less harmful chemicals.*

Switching completely to IQOS is a better choice than continuing to smoke**.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The absence of tar does not mean that IQOS is risk free. IQOS provides nicotine which is addictive.
*Average reductions in the levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to cigarette smoke. **Source: Based on the totality of evidence available for IQOS in comparison with continuing to smoke.
Cigarette filter with brown combustion stains compared to IQOS HEETS stick in IQOS 3 DUO holder with no equivalent stain

Tobacco vapour vs smoke.

Tobacco vapor generated by using IQOS is less harmful than cigarette smoke. To demonstrate this, PMI conducted a comprehensive assessment programme that included 10 clinical studies on aerosol chemistry (as well as data from 18 non-clinical studies), and involved thousands of participants in the US, Japan, UK and Poland. Evidence demonstrates that switching completely to IQOS, while not risk-free, is a better choice than continuing to smoke.

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free and provides nicotine, which is addictive.
IQOS 3 DUO holder inside the charger
A jade green IQOS ILUMA device next to a blue cup.

Switching to IQOS.

Our studies show that the satisfaction of those who switched completely to IQOS is comparable to that of those who continued to smoke cigarettes.* Discover more about our scientific assessment journey. 

Discover the studies

IQOS is not risk free and delivers nicotine, which is addictive. The best decision any smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether

* 3-month clinical study conducted in US and Japan with 160 adult smokers each, under near real-world conditions.

Close up of hands holding IQOS ILUMA jade green device.
An obsidian black IQOS ILUMA device.

IQOS Research

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