During the past decades, the global concern about the harm of smoking has increased. More and more countries have tightened tobacco control policies through increased taxation on cigarettes, support for smoking cessation, widespread public health education, and so on.
On the other hand, the tobacco industry has been striving to develop less harmful tobacco substitutes to reduce the health risks associated with tobacco smoking. One of the most famous inventions is the electronic cigarettes, which has been popular all over the world since it came out in the early 21st century.
Besides e-cigarettes, there are many other smoking substitutes aimed at reducing the harm of tobacco smoking, such as smokeless tobacco products, non-tobacco oral nicotine products, heated tobacco products, and heated tobacco alternatives.
While all these tobacco substitutes vary in look, design, and use, they have one thing in common: that is, they do not involve the burning or combustion of raw materials.
So, why do all these tobacco substitutes eliminate burning? Are these products better substitutes for smoking?
What are the main reasons for the harm of smoking?
Nicotine, as the most typical compound of tobacco, is usually mistakenly regarded as the biggest risk factor for smoking. As a matter of fact, nicotine is not a killer. The health risks of smoking mainly come from tobacco burning.
When in use, ordinary cigarettes are ignited with an open flame and burned to an ultra-high temperature of up to 900°C. During the burning process, cigarettes produce smoke containing nicotine, accompanied by by-products, such as tar, ash, carbon monoxide, and particulates.
It is well known that cigarette burning will produce thousands of chemicals, of which 250 compounds are found to be toxic, and 69 constituents are proven to be carcinogenic.
Some carcinogenic chemicals include formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene, nitrosamines, etc. These toxins and carcinogens are the main causes of health risks of smoking.
Smoking is harmful to every organ of the human body, which increases the risk for the development of various preventable diseases, including lung cancer, throat cancer, respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, and asthma. In addition, smoking can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath.
Simply put, it is tobacco burning that is directly related to the health risks of smoking. This is why most tobacco substitutes are non-combustible products.
Now, let’s continue to learn more about these products.
E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes, also known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigs, or vapes, are battery-powered handheld devices with a power supply, a heating element or atomizer, a cartridge or pod containing e-liquid, and a mouthpiece for users to inhale.
E-cigarettes do not use real tobacco but use a liquid solution, which is called e-liquid or e-juice. The e-liquid usually contains nicotine, flavorings, water, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin.
E-cigarettes have rich and varied flavors. It is said that there are thousands of flavors available on the market which are very attractive, especially to those young adults.
E-cigarettes may or may not contain nicotine. The nicotine in e-cigarettes is usually extracted from tobacco, while some are synthetic nicotine made artificially in the laboratory.
When in use, the e-liquid is heated to a high enough temperature to produce a flavored vapor for inhalation by the user. The heating temperature is variable, depending on the brand or style, and the most common vape temperature should be between 190 and 235 degrees Celsius.
Compared with regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not produce toxins and carcinogens created by burning tobacco, so they are considered a safer alternative to smoking.
However, some smokers may not be used to e-cigarettes because these products can’t provide them with the smoking experience.
Smokeless tobacco products
Smokeless tobacco products, according to the definition of FDA, are non-combustible tobacco products that come in different forms, such as cut, ground, powdered, or leaf tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco products go by many names, such as oral tobacco, chew, chewing tobacco, dip, dipping tobacco, spitting tobacco, snuff, snus, and dissolvable products.
Just as the name suggests, smokeless tobacco products are intended to be placed in the mouth or nasal cavity for chewing, sucking, or sniffing, not for smoking.
Smokeless tobacco products are usually made of a blend of tobacco, flavorings, salt, sugar, and spices. When used, they will release nicotine and flavors, which will be absorbed by users.
Some smokeless products will produce so much saliva that users need to spit it out after completion, while others will not generate juices and can be swallowed. For example, chewing tobacco usually produces saliva, while snus does not generate saliva and does not end up spitting.
Smokeless tobacco products seem to be more acceptable by society because they do not produce any smoke or vapor and are convenient for use. However, they don’t come close to regular cigarettes in taste and feeling, so some smokers may not get on with them.
Non-tobacco oral nicotine products
Non-tobacco or tobacco-free oral nicotine products are a relatively new class of non-combustible nicotine products, which include nicotine pouches, lozenges, gum, and gummies.
Similar to smokeless tobacco products, non-tobacco oral nicotine products are intended for oral consumption and placed between the cheek and gum.
What is different is that non-tobacco oral nicotine products do not contain real tobacco leaf. Instead, it uses a mixture of nicotine and flavorings, sweeteners, plant-based fibers, and other additives. The nicotine can be extracted from tobacco or synthesized in a laboratory.
Like smokeless tobacco products, these products are easy to use and free you from the burden of disturbing surrounding people.
But these products will cause some side effects, such as sore mouth, irritation of the gums, hiccups, etc.
Heated tobacco products
Heated tobacco products, also known as heat-not-burn tobacco products, heat compressed tobacco leaves with handheld battery-powered heating devices to a temperature of about 350°C to produce a nicotine-filled aerosol that users inhale.
The heating technology is called heat-not-burn technology, which uses a heating control system to keep the heating temperature below the combustion level and prevent the sticks from burning.
Most common heating systems use a heating blade to penetrate the end of the stick to heat from the inside out, while some heating devices use a sealed chamber to heat the tobacco from the outside.
Since heated tobacco sticks do not burn when used, they produce less toxins than regular cigarettes, so they are promoted as safer substitutes for regular cigarettes.
Heated tobacco sticks are the closest to regular cigarettes among all smoking alternatives, as they are similar to regular cigarettes in many aspects, such as appearance, smoking behavior, feeling, and nicotine satisfaction.
To put it simply, the heated tobacco sticks replicate regular cigarettes in every aspect, except the working concept – heating the stick without burning it.
As heated tobacco sticks provide a feeling of satisfaction similar to smoking, they can help smokers make a smooth transition.
Non-tobacco heated sticks
Heated tobacco alternatives, also known as non-tobacco heated sticks, are the latest innovation in the heat-not-burn range.
Non-tobacco heated sticks use the same heating technology as heated tobacco sticks, which is the heat-not-burn technology. This means they will not produce hazards and carcinogens related to tobacco burning.
Besides, non-tobacco heated sticks are similar to heated tobacco sticks in appearance, smoking ritual, and sensory experience, so they can provide users with a smoking feeling and satisfaction.
Non-tobacco heated sticks are fundamentally different from heated tobacco sticks in that they don’t use real tobacco. Instead, they use natural herbs, tea, or other natural plants as the main substances and add flavorings and options of nicotine.
Compared with heated tobacco sticks, non-tobacco heated sticks are more refreshing and flavorful because they do not have the harshness of tobacco. In other words, non-tobacco heated sticks will not leave you with a lingering unpleasant aftertaste.
More importantly, since these products do not contain tobacco, they can avoid some toxins in tobacco itself, including heavy metals such as cadmium, lead nickel, and radioactive materials, which will increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Non-tobacco heated sticks are an emerging market and were commercialized for the first time in 2015 when Neafs introduced its tea-based heated sticks in Europe.
Neafs heated sticks use a special tea blend as the main base, which is gently steeped into propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, mints, edible essence, flavorings, and nicotine.
As for the flavor, Neafs provides six flavors to choose from, including Original, Menthol, Strawberry, Coffee, Mojito and Blueberry. The Original flavor, for example, is the real tobacco flavor minus tobacco and its lingering odor, creating a fresh and smooth tobacco experience.
Neafs heated sticks also contain nicotine-free heated sticks, which are ideal for those who intend to quit tobacco and nicotine for good but still want to immerse themselves in the sensory experience of smoking.
Summary
Non-combustible tobacco substitutes keep smokers away from toxins and carcinogens produced during the burning of plant matter, making them a relatively safe alternative to smoking.
But please remember that these tobacco substitutes are not risk-free because many of them contain nicotine and are addictive.
So, tobacco substitutes are a tool to help smokers quit cigarette smoking, and turning to a non-combustible tobacco substitute is only the first step towards a smoke-free future.
Giving up any form of tobacco and nicotine use will always be the best choice a smoker can make.
Categories: News
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
