E-Cigarette Liquid vs. HEETS Tobacco Sticks

E-cigarettes utilize a liquid, while products using heated tobacco utilizes tobacco sticks, which contains real tobacco.

E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products share one very important thing in common: they can provide an alternative to adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking or use other nicotine products. These smoke-free products accomplish this by eliminating combustion, which occurs when tobacco burns, such as when a cigarette is lit.

However, the way that e-cigarettes vs. heated tobacco products deliver this distinction over cigarette smoking is quite different. E-cigarettes utilize a liquid, while products using heated tobacco utilizes tobacco sticks, which contains real tobacco.

What are e-cigarette liquids?

First of all, e-cigarettes do not utilize real tobacco. Rather, they utilize e-cigarette liquid, sometimes also called e-cig liquid, e-liquid, or vaping liquid.

What are HEETS Tobacco Sticks?

Unlike e-cigarettes, IQOS heated tobacco products do utilize real tobacco, processed and formed in specific ways to work seamlessly with their corresponding IQOS devices. HEETS are to be used with IQOS heat-not-burn devices.

HEETS are made of real, processed tobacco leaf, and therefore, contain real tobacco flavor. You can experience the real tobacco taste for 6 minutes or 14 puffs. It depends on which comes first. It is important to highlight that IQOS product features are valid only when a HEETS stick is used with an IQOS device. Type and quantity of emitted chemicals when our products are used with other devices or other sticks are unknown. Switching completely to IQOS is less harmful than continuing to smoke.*

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free and provides nicotine, which is addictive.

What's the difference between HEETS and e-liquids?

The main difference between HEETS tobacco sticks and e-liquids lie in the sense of nicotine consumption.

E-liquid is drawn from the tank of e-cigarettes and put into contact with a battery powered heating component. Heating the liquid makes it evaporate, and when that happens, vapor can be drawn from the device through a mouthpiece. There is no smoke nor ash created, only the vapor.

HEETS tobacco sticks, on the other hand, are inserted into IQOS heated tobacco device, with IQOS device, HEETS are heated from the inside using a special heating blade. IQOS devices are heated to specific temperatures, releasing real tobacco flavor with no burning, no ash, and no smoke. Only tobacco vapor is created.

While both options have their differences, the most important thing that using HEETS or e-liquids have in common, they are both alternatives for adult smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking. If you are an adult smoker who would otherwise continue smoking or use other nicotine products, you should find out more about smoke-free alternatives.

Important information: IQOS is not risk-free.

If you have any further questions or would like to read more about it, visit our Differences between IQOS and e-cigarettes page.


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