Heat Not Burn and Other Products

Heated products use an electric element (Accord) or a carbon tipped heating element (Premier and Eclipse) to release the nicotine.  Additives such as polypropylene glycol are used to create a visible vapor. While these products might be somewhat less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes, it is unclear whether their presence in the marketplace will reduce cessation and/or increase initiation.

Premier Cigarette 1988-1989, R.J. Reynolds

Premier never achieved popularity, as smokers complained about a charcoal-like aftertaste and special instructions were needed to teach smokers how to light it. It was withdrawn from the market in 1989, less than a year after its introduction.

Accord 1999, Philip Morris

Accord, Heat Bar, and IQOS are devices that heat a special cigarette rather than burning it. They claim to produce no noticeable secondhand smoke, only a vapor.

Heat Bar 2006, Philip Morris

Designed to emit reduced secondhand smoke, the Heat Bar was positioned as an ultra-low tar product with a full body and real taste.

IQOS, Philip Morris – 2014

2015, Phillip Morris International has finally launched the IQOS, a “smokeless” cigarette that has been described as a hybrid between analogs and electronic cigarettes. The device uses real tobacco refills (like Accord and Heatbar), but instead of burning it, heats it to produce tobacco-flavored vapor.

Eclipse 1996 – R.J. Reynolds

Eclipse, like its predecessor Premier, heated the tobacco instead of burning it. Because the product struggled to gain traction with adult smokers, Eclipse was pulled from most test markets. It was found that glass particles contaminated the filter tip of the Eclipse cigarette.

Revo 2015, R.J. Reynolds

Revo, the next generation of R.J. Reynold’s Eclipse cigarette, was launched in 2015. Revo was pulled from the test market within months of its release due to lack of interest in the brand. Like Premier and Eclipse, Revo uses a carbon tip to light the rod to heat rather than burn tobacco.