What is IQOS? - FAQs

IQOS ™ is a revolutionary system that heats tobacco instead of burning it, creating an aerosol that allows adult smokers to appreciate the authentic taste of tobacco. The IQOS ™ system, compared to a cigarette, allows a cleaner experience because it does not create combustion or ash and generates less odor than a cigarette.

The IQOS ™ system is a revolutionary electronic device with advanced temperature regulation software. The IQOS ™ device heats the tobacco contained in the HeatStick to a controlled temperature. Consequently an aerosol is generated which releases the authentic taste of tobacco without generating smoke or combustion, without ash and with less odor than cigarettes.

The IQOS holder contains a special heating blade in gold and platinum, coated in ceramic, and contains cutting-edge electronic parts that regulate the heat for a constant experience. Only IQOS directly heats the tobacco from the inside thanks to the exclusive heating blade, without burning the paper. The foil maintains the temperature of the tobacco constant for a full satisfaction of the taste from the beginning to the end.

The sheet you see is nothing but a coating used throughout Europe to reinforce smokeless tobacco products.
It is a wrapping paper reinforced for purely technical reasons, in order to align the characteristics of the smokeless tobacco products marketed in Italy with those of other European countries. The presence of this does not affect the volume of steam generated by IQOS.
Like all components used in tobacco sticks, the new wrapping paper has been carefully analyzed by Philip Morris International (PMI) to assess its suitability for use and no harmful substances released during use with IQOS have been identified.
The amount of aluminum used in tobacco sticks is very low. Therefore, neither the accidental ingestion of a tobacco stick nor the regular inhalation of the aerosol represent any toxicological risk.

PLA is a biopolymer derived from natural resources such as starch or sugar cane. Among other things, PLA is used in a number of biomedical applications, for example for medical implants such as sutures.
In the filters of tobacco sticks it has the purpose of cooling the steam to an acceptable temperature and therefore giving the consumer a pleasant experience during inhalation
Our toxicologists have analyzed the use of PLA within the tobacco stick filter and concluded that it can be used safely for the intended purpose.
During the experience with IQOS, the filter changes its appearance, color and hardens after the end of the experience. This change is specially designed to remove excess aerosol water vapor and provide a more pleasant experience.

From today with IQOS Welcome you can choose to buy your first IQOS Kit according to your needs and with the possibility of returning it within 30 days from the purchase date.

Make sure the holder is turned off and remove the cap before cleaning as described below: • Open the IQOS cleaning accessory. • Use the small brush to clean the cap and the large brush to clean the central body of the holder. • Gently tap both sides on a surface to release the tobacco residues. • Now take a tissue and clean the top of the holder (with the cap off) until you have eliminated all tobacco residues on the outside. • Every 3-4 days, rinse the cap well under warm water. • Take an IQOS cleaning stick and use both sides to clean the area at the bottom near the foil and the foil itself. Make sure to remove all tobacco residues even on the bottom of the foil. • In order not to damage the most important part of IQOS, the heating foil, perform this procedure very carefully making light circular movements.

IQOS ™ is an electronic tobacco heating system and is not an electronic cigarette. HeatSticks contain tobacco, not a liquid like electronic cigarettes. Unlike electronic cigarettes, the IQOS ™ device heats real tobacco and releases an authentic tobacco flavor without burning it, re-proposing many of the sensory and ritual aspects associated with cigarette smoke, but without combustion. Electronic cigarettes, on the other hand, use electronics to generate an aerosol from a liquid solution that can contain nicotine but not tobacco.

No, the IQOS ™ system does not burn tobacco and therefore does not create smoke. By heating the tobacco instead of burning it, an aerosol is generated that allows adult smokers to appreciate the authentic taste of tobacco and taste it cleaner than cigarettes, because the IQOS ™ system does not create combustion or ash and produces less odor than to cigarettes. Furthermore, the aerosol produced by HeatSticks is less annoying because it dissolves very quickly.

The new version of IQOS is equipped with Bluetooth to expand the potential of the device in the future. This feature is currently not active.

Find out where to buy IQOS, the system that heats and does not burn tobacco, its accessories and where to receive assistance. Visit the store closest to you on Google My Maps

Philip Morris International is investing in the development and rigorous evaluation of a portfolio of alternative products with potentially reduced risks compared to cigarette smoking, called RRP (Reduced Risk Products). RRP is the term by which Philip Morris International defines those products that present, may present, or have the potential to present a lower risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products, compared to the persistence of smoking. The Philip Morris International RRPs are in various stages of development, scientific evaluation and marketing. The efforts made in scientific research are at the heart of this transformation. The strategy is based on the awareness that innovative products will bring benefits to public health if they meet two conditions: first, they must significantly reduce the risk of contracting diseases compared to cigarettes; secondly, they must be accepted by smokers in a way that encourages them to switch to low-risk products. Since 2008, Philip Morris International has invested more than $ 3 billion, bringing together over 400 world-renowned scientists from 30 different disciplines within the two R&D centers in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and Singapore, to develop and validate RRPs. The company's goal is to replace cigarettes with RRP as soon as possible. On November 30, 2016, André Calantzopoulos, CEO of the multinational, announced his willingness to gradually put traditional cigarettes out of business.

The symbol of the crossed-out wheelie bin depicted on the electrical and electronic equipment or on the packaging of the same indicates that the user must not dispose of the equipment at the end of its useful life, as mixed urban waste but will have to separate waste by conferring the equipment itself at the appropriate separate waste collection centers, or return it to the retailer when purchasing a new equivalent type of equipment.

IQOS is not risk-free and delivers nicotine, which is addictive. If you are concerned about the health effects of smoking, your best option is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether. However, for those not willing to quit, fully switching to IQOS represents a valid alternative compared to cigarette smoking.

Nicotine is addictive. However, it is not the main cause of smoking related diseases. IQOS delivers nicotine in a comparable way to cigarettes. Our clinical studies show that the amount and rate of nicotine absorbed when using one tobacco stick with IQOS is comparable to that of smoking one cigarette. For more information on this, please see the section “Tobacco and Nicotine”.

We use PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. The number of total users we report refers to IQOS users for whom PMI tobacco sticks represent at least 5% of their daily tobacco consumption over the past 7 days, while the number of people we estimate have completely quit cigarette smoking refers to IQOS users for whom PMI tobacco sticks represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.