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Various tobacco products and their toxicity
Did you know that even pure water can be poisonous, and that food products considered to be healthy may be beneficial but also harmful? So what determines a product’s toxicity? Are all tobacco products equally toxic?
Some food products – for example, pears, apples, courgettes and potatoes – contain substances that are toxic. If a person consumes a reasonable amount of such foods, the body obtains various beneficial substances; however, if an especially large quantity is eaten, serious poisoning may result. The situation with water is similar. Although no organism can survive without water, consuming a very large amount of water in a short period of time can be fatal1.
By the way, there are two types of toxicity – acute and chronic. The aforementioned products, when consumed in small quantities, do not have a negative effect. It is only the consumption of especially large quantities in a short period of time that causes harm to the human body. This is an example of acute toxicity.
However, there is also chronic toxicity. In this case, a person can consume a small quantity of the product and the impact on the body will be very mild. However, if such a toxic product is used continuously, even in small quantities, the impact on the body develops over time. The constant consumption of tobacco products is one example of this type of toxicity.
Most harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke are formed when the tobacco is burned.
Since smoke-free products do not involve the burning of tobacco, the amount of harmful substances is up to 95% lower when compared to cigarette smoke. The key question is, do lower levels of harmful and potentially harmful substances reduce the toxicity of the product itself?
After comparing the toxic effects of IQOS and cigarettes, it was found that the toxicity of the vapour emitted by IQOS is significantly lower than that of cigarette smoke.
Therefore, switching to IQOS completely is less harmful than continuing to smoke.
More interesting research will be available soon.
This does not necessarily mean that the risk is reduced by 95%. IQOS is not a risk free product. Heated tobacco products contain nicotine which is addictive.