What is the difference between non-burning tobacco products and electronic cigarettes?

In recent years, brands of electronic cigarettes such as "IQOS" have caused a small craze in the international market. Strictly speaking, electronic cigarettes should be accurately referred to as a type of non-burning tobacco product, which is a new type of tobacco product. Unlike traditional cigarettes, hookahs, pipes, snuff, and other types of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes mainly use a low-temperature heating principle, with the heating object being the e-liquid, which neither heats nor burns the tobacco product.

Many electronic cigarette users refer to unheated tobacco products as electronic cigarettes, but there are still differences between them. Heating non-burning tobacco products relies on battery heating, with their main target being traditional tobacco, which cannot be strictly defined as electronic cigarettes. In contrast, electronic cigarettes do not contain tobacco, but their e-liquids still contain nicotine, belonging to the tobacco category. Non-burning heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are both in the category of new tobacco products.

Non-burning tobacco products and electronic cigarettes have similar development histories and reasons. Due to people's health requirements, tobacco giants in various countries continue to accelerate research and development of new tobacco products. Since 1988, these giants have been researching various forms of carbon heating, electric heating, and other methods, and have launched non-burning heated tobacco products, introducing brands such as HEETS and Glo. However, due to the complex composition of tobacco and taste differences, these products are difficult for the public to accept. It wasn't until 2015 that the international tobacco giant Philip Morris introduced the first generation of IQOS, which directly ignited the electronic cigarette market and quickly became popular.

Heating non-burning tobacco and electronic cigarettes have become a global trend. Domestic tobacco companies are also conducting research and development of new tobacco products such as heating non-burning tobacco and electronic cigarettes. At the same time, the country and relevant departments are gradually incorporating new tobacco products into the regulatory mechanism, and the future development of new tobacco products in the country will continue, with a new wave of tobacco products rapidly approaching.