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Important information about IQOS

Good Conversion Practices for PMI’s Smoke-free Products

PMI offers a variety of quality, scientifically substantiated smoke-free products that are much better choices than continued smoking. Our vision is that our smoke-free products will one day replace cigarettes.

  1. Cigarette smoking causes serious diseases and is addictive. Without question, the best decision any smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
  2. Minors should not use tobacco or nicotine in any form.
  3. PMI’s smoke-free products are for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use other nicotine products.
  4. We do not offer PMI’s smoke-free products to people who have never used tobacco or nicotine products or who have quit using tobacco and nicotine products. Our smoke-free products are not alternatives to quitting and are not designed as cessation aids.
  5. PMI’s smoke-free products are not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive. Switching to a smoke-free product is, however, a better choice than continuing to smoke.
  6. We support our adult smoke-free product users in their journey to full conversion through education and guidance.
  7. For consumers to experience the benefits of smoke-free products, they must switch completely and abandon smoking permanently.
  8. We inform consumers of all relevant safety information about our smoke-free products.

Safety Warnings & Instructions

Tobacco and Nicotine

  • Heated tobacco units contain nicotine, which is addictive.
  • IQOS and heated tobacco units are not risk-free. The best way to reduce tobacco-related health risks is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
  • Some users of IQOS and heated tobacco units reported experiencing abdominal pain, chest pain, choking sensation, cough, difficulty breathing, dizziness, dry mouth, dry throat, gingivitis, headache, malaise, nasal stuffiness, nausea, mouth irritation, palpitations, throat irritation, and vomiting.
  • Nicotine-containing products should not be used by people who have or are at risk of heart disease, are diabetic, are epileptic, or are experiencing seizures.
  • Nicotine-containing products should not be used during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. If you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or think you may be pregnant, you should quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
  • Stopping smoking or switching to IQOS or other nicotine-containing products may require the adjustment of the dosing of certain medicines (e.g. theophylline, clozapine, ropinirole).
  • If you have questions about whether you should use IQOS and heated tobacco units given an existing health condition, consult a health care professional.

Exclusive Use of heated tobacco units

  • Only purchase heated tobacco units from authorized retailers.
  • Only use IQOS with heated tobacco units.
  • Never use IQOS with a cigarette or similar products that are not designed for usage with IQOS. Doing so may result in injury.
  • Do not modify heated tobacco units in any way or add any substance to heated tobacco units. Doing so may result in injury.

Battery Degradation

IQOS devices, including holders, contain a lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery in the devices is a consumable component that degrades with usage and age. This is a natural process common to all rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. As the battery ages, the active ingredients inside the battery become less capable of retaining energy, resulting in a permanent decrease in maximum battery capacity and usable energy. In addition, the active ingredients become less effective in delivering energy, resulting in a decrease of the battery’s ability to provide sufficient power for electronic device components to operate. As a result, where relevant, the duration of experience may appear to be shorter, the number of puffs or experiences with one full charge may appear to be fewer, the second consecutive use might be shorter or missing, or some device features, such as autostart or double tap for the IQOS ILUMA holder, may not perform.

The battery is a chemical system that requires certain temperature ranges during charge and discharge to work optimally and minimize battery capacity degradation over its lifetime. Although your device has a specific operating range within which the device will function, operating at the extreme ends of this range will degrade your battery faster. Your device comes with customized software to control the charging parameters in order to maximize the life of your device. These algorithms can support the longevity of your battery life, but they can still never fully mitigate the normal aging mechanisms of lithium batteries. High and low temperature operation of your device will accelerate the natural degradation of your battery. Even if you do not use your device the batteries contain chemical systems which can still degrade over time. In order to slow the battery degradation process, we recommend charging your device within the recommended temperature zone, not keeping it discharged for long periods of time and using the charging cables and power adaptors that come together with the device as per the user guides.

Please read more on important information in FAQ here.

You will find consumer communication around the website and in other touchpoints that come from the following sources for IQOS products:

IQOS leaves significantly less stains on your teeth* than cigarettes.
Important information: If teeth are already stained, switching to IQOS will not reverse the colour of those stains.
*Source: non-clinical laboratory study conducted in Switzerland with IQOS aerosol on human teeth and the most widely used dental composites. Contrary to real world conditions, teeth were not exposed to other staining substances which may influence the results.
IQOS emits 95% less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*
Important information: This does not necessarily imply 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.
IQOS emits on average 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*
Important information: This does not necessarily imply a 95% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk free.
*Average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette.
Based on scientific studies conducted with manufacturer's heated tobacco units designed for IQOS.
IQOS emits significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*
Important information: IQOS is not risk free.
*Average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette.
Based on scientific studies conducted with manufacturer's heated tobacco units designed for IQOS.
CIGARETTES PRODUCE TAR - IQOS DOESN’T
Tar is the residue from smoke after a cigarette is burned. IQOS does not produce tar because it heats tobacco instead of burning it. It generates an aerosol residue that is fundamentally different from tar and consists of significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals.*
Important information: The absence of tar does not mean that IQOS is risk free. It provides nicotine, which is addictive.
*Average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) compared to cigarette smoke.
CIGARETTES PRODUCE HIGH AMOUNTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE - IQOS DOESN’T.
Cigarettes burn tobacco, which produces high amounts of carbon monoxide. IQOS doesn’t burn tobacco, producing on average 98% less carbon monoxide (CO) and significantly lower levels of other harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.*
Important information: This does not necessarily imply a 98% reduction in risk. IQOS is not risk free and provides nicotine, which is addictive.
*Source: We measured the levels of certain harmful chemicals prioritized for reporting by renowned public health organizations, and these are reduced on average by 95% compared to the smoke of a cigarette (nicotine excluded).
Based on scientific studies conducted with manufacturer's heated tobacco units designed for IQOS.
Over 19.4 million adult smokers have stopped burning tobacco and started heating it with IQOS.*
*Source: PMI Financials or estimates (excluding Russia and Ukraine), IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. Status as of June 2023. IQOS users who have completely quit cigarettes and for whom PMI heated tobacco units represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.
There are more than 27.2 million* IQOS users globally, of which 19.4 million** have completely quit cigarettes.
*Source: PMI Financials or estimates (excluding Russia and Ukraine), IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research. Status as of March 2023. *IQOS users for whom heated tobacco units represent at least 5% of their daily tobacco consumption over the past 7 days.
**IQOS users who have completely quit cigarettes and for whom PMI heated tobacco units represent at least 70% of their past 7-day heated tobacco consumption.
Thousands of adult smokers around the world convert to IQOS every day.*
*Source: Status as of March 2021 Exclusive Heat-Not-Burn users that are using PMI heated tobacco units for at least 70% of their past-7 days heated tobacco consumption. PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research.
Every day, thousands of adult smokers around the world stop burning tobacco and start heating it with IQOS.*
*Source: Status as of March 2021 Exclusive Heat-Not-Burn users that are using PMI heated tobacco units for at least 70% of their past-7 days heated tobacco consumption. PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research.
The majority of smokers who switch to IQOS completely quit cigarettes.*
*Source: PMI Financials or estimates, IQOS user panels and PMI Market Research
IQOS is the #1 heated tobacco product.*
*Source: PMI global estimate of total In-Market Sales of Heated Tobacco Units as of February 2021. (excluding China and US).
Smokers who switched to IQOS say that there is less unpleasant feeling and aftertaste left in their mouth compared to after finishing smoking a cigarette.*
*Source: Online survey conducted by third-party research agencies in 2016.