Ammon – It is known that consuming traditional cigarettes has some harmful effects that are not hidden from anyone. Despite this, the number of smokers around the world currently exceeds one billion, a number that the World Health Organization expects to remain constant without decrease until the year 2025 if these people continue smoking, as quitting is the best way to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases.
With the failure that continues to be recorded in reducing the number of smokers in light of the strict adoption of the traditional tobacco control policy, which has not achieved any positive results over many years, nor is it expected to do so, the best option in this case is to encourage adult smokers who do not They want to quit smoking, to switch to alternative products, as it is a tool that helps in quitting, and it is also considered less harmful, although not completely devoid of it.
In a quick comparison between traditional cigarettes and alternative products, the first and most important difference revolves around what is produced by both types.
Have you heard the term “aerosol”? Yes, it is that spray, but it is not the spray from a deodorant bottle, it is much more than that. Aerosol is defined as the comprehensive scientific term for solid and liquid particles suspended in gas – such as clouds, while smoke is defined as a type of aerosol generated during combustion, which is the scientific name given to the “combustion” process. Here, although smoke is a mist, not every mist is smoke.
When you light a traditional cigarette, an extremely hot reaction immediately begins, known as combustion. On the other hand, science and technology when combined have opened wider doors for the development of alternative products that eliminate the process of burning tobacco and therefore do not produce smoke. It is smoke free.
When alternative products are scientifically proven, and when they are also subjected to appropriate quality and safety conditions, they do not produce smoke and therefore do not constitute a source of second-hand smoke or ash. The lack of smoke, can significantly reduce average levels of harmful chemicals compared to traditional cigarettes. Therefore, scientifically proven alternative products are a better option for adult smokers than continuing traditional smoking, even though they are not completely risk-free and contain nicotine.
To clarify the matter and the difference more precisely, it can be identified through the following differences:
Aerosol and what it is
Aerosols are not associated with combustion, and are emitted by alternative products called smoke-free or reduced-risk products, which, although not completely risk-free, have the ability to significantly reduce average levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarette smoke.
Consumers typically use the term “vapor” to refer to aerosols generated from heated tobacco products or other nicotine-containing products, which do not involve any type of combustion as in traditional cigarettes. Within these products, the tobacco is heated to a maximum of 350°C, which prevents it from burning or producing smoke or ash.
Smoke and what it is
Smoke is related to combustion, which is the smoke mixture that the smoker exhales from his mouth after lighting the cigarette, which consists of flavors from a mixture of tobacco and nicotine, which is known to be naturally present in tobacco leaves and does not constitute a major cause of smoking-related diseases, although it may lead to addiction. Along with it is a group of other chemicals amounting to 6,000 substances, of which about 100 substances have been classified by public health authorities as harmful or potentially harmful. Once lit, the cigarette begins burning, which increases until the paper roll turns into ash that produces the smoke mixture, with a combustion temperature of tobacco reaching 900 degrees Celsius.
The bottom line is that if the temperature is lowered to a level where the tobacco or nicotine liquid is heated rather than burned, then the smoke will disappear. Accordingly, and given the current reality of millions of people still consuming traditional cigarettes despite efforts to consider their quality and trends, smoke-free products backed by science can play a role in keeping adults who may continue smoking away from cigarettes, provided that They are scientifically proven on a product-by-product basis. With encouragement and appropriate organizational support from civil society, the desired smoke-free future can be achieved more quickly than relying on traditional measures alone.
Moreover, the eye of wisdom remains on not engaging in tobacco and nicotine consumption in the first place, with the current tobacco control measures designed to discourage starting smoking and calling for quitting. In the case of current smokers, quitting completely is indisputably the best option for health, with the possibility of relying on Alternative products that embrace innovative harm reduction policy, as a way to go down this path.
