PMSA: Smoke-free alternatives

There is a variety of better, alternatives available for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke. Scientifically substantiated smoke-free products deliver nicotine, which is addictive and not risk-free, but without burning and smoke, which makes them very different from cigarettes and a better choice for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.

Why is burning a problem?

When a cigarette is lit, it generates smoke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 6 000 chemicals, about 100 of which have been classified by public health authorities as harmful or potentially harmful.

The main cause of smoking related diseases is the high levels of harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

Smoke-free products do not burn tobacco and they do not produce smoke. By eliminating burning and smoke, the levels of harmful chemicals generated can be significantly reduced compared with cigarettes. Their potential to reduce the risk of harm compared to continued smoking should be scientifically substantiated on a product by product basis, and they should be manufactured under appropriate safety and quality controls.

Why is there nicotine in smoke-free products?

Most smoke-free products deliver nicotine, as it is one of the factors, alongside taste and ritual, that adult smokers look for in alternatives.

Nicotine, while addictive and not risk-free, is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases – the high levels of harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke are.

While it’s one of the reasons people continue to smoke or use nicotine products, it’s been used successfully in cigarette replacement therapies for decades, as a means of helping adult smokers quit tobacco and nicotine altogether.

Certain people, such as those who don’t smoke or use nicotine products or those with certain health conditions, should not use products that contain nicotine. Minors should never use or have access to tobacco or nicotine-containing products.

Heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes (also called e-vapor products or vapes) heat either tobacco or a liquid nicotine solution to create a flavoured smoke-free aerosol.

This aerosol contains a mixture of particles suspended in gas, but unlike smoke, the aerosol does not contain solid particles and contains fewer and significantly reduced average levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarette smoke.

Modern oral smokeless products, such as snus and nicotine pouches, are inherently smoke-free; there is no vapour (and no smoke), and the nicotine is absorbed orally. These pouches may use tobacco or provide nicotine without tobacco.

What smoke-free products have in common is that they don’t burn tobacco, and therefore they don’t create smoke or ash.

These products are not risk-free and provide nicotine which is addictive, but they offer adult smokers a better option than continuing to smoke.

Quitting tobacco and nicotine altogether is the best choice for health. Existing tobacco control measures designed to discourage initiation and encourage cessation should continue.

However, despite these efforts, millions of people continue to smoke. Science-backed, smoke-free products can play a role in accelerating a decline in smoking by moving adults who would otherwise continue to smoke away from cigarettes.

Adult smokers deserve to have accurate information about and access to better alternatives to continued smoking.