Are heated tobacco products a healthy alternative to cigarettes?

Abstract

As well as being an extremely widespread addiction, tobacco smoking is a well-known cause of numerous deaths around the world. Most (80–90%) of lung cancer cases occur among smokers. The awareness of harmful effects of smoking is growing constantly. Manufacturers of tobacco products have recently opted to face this challenge by marketing heated tobacco products. Based on the performed research, tobacco companies maintain that these products are less harmful. They advertise their products as a smokeless, unconventional, less harmful cigarette. Due to the short follow-up period, the studies on consequences of using heated tobacco products are still scarce. This article presents a review of the literature focused on the use of heated tobacco products as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.