Key messages
- Heated tobacco products are not risk-free and are not currently recommended for smoking cessation by NICE. While it is possible that they expose users to fewer toxins than cigarettes, all tobacco products are harmful to health and heated tobacco products contain many of the same harmful chemicals as combustible tobacco.
- Less than 1% of people in the UK currently use heated tobacco, but awareness is rising, especially among young people. Alarmingly, 24% of 11–17-year-olds are now aware of these products, with 0.7% currently using them.
- Tobacco companies continue to promote heated tobacco in shops, despite being told by the government that this is "prohibited". The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will clarify the law to ensure that advertising of these products is explicitly prohibited.
On this page
- What are heated tobacco products and how do they work?
- How many people in Britain use heated tobacco products
- What about use among children?
- What are the health effects of heated tobacco products?
- Are heated tobacco products recommended for smoking cessation?
- How are heated tobacco products regulated?
What are heated tobacco products and how do they work?
Heated tobacco products are electronic devices that heat sticks of rolled tobacco to a temperature high enough to create a vapour. This is different to cigarettes where tobacco is burnt. As well as tobacco, these products contain nicotine, making them addictive.
The “Big Four” tobacco companies - Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands have all launched their own heated tobacco products in the last few years. The industry refers to these products as ‘smokefree’ but independent research indicates that emissions from these products meet the definition of smoke as well as vapour.
How many people in Britain use heated tobacco products
In 2025, the number of people who say they have tried heated tobacco products is generally low at 3.3%, representing 1.7 million people. Younger adults are more likely to report trying heated tobacco products (5% of 18-24 year olds and 6% of 25-39 year olds) along with people who smoke (14%). Less than 1% (0.7%) of all adults currently use HTPs (400,000 people).
Current use of heated tobacco has been unchanged since 2017. The proportion of adults who have used it in the past but have now stopped has increased significantly, from 0.9% in 2017 to 2.6% in 2025.
Awareness of these products is increasing. In 2025, 28% of adults were aware of heated tobacco, compared to 9% in 2017 and 19% in 2024. Awareness is higher among people who smoke (50%). Awareness is also higher in younger adults (18-24 37%, 25-39 36%) compared to those aged 40 and over (23%).
These findings are from the annual ASH/YouGov survey of smoking and vaping behaviour in Great Britain.
What about use among children?
All tobacco products are harmful to health and heated tobacco products contain many of the same chemicals as combustible tobacco products, including cancer causing substances.
These products are relatively new to the market, and as a result, there is limited independent research on their long-term health impacts. A recent large independent analysis of the health impacts of heated tobacco products focused on biomarkers of potential harm - biological indicators that signal physical changes or effects within the body. Their findings revealed a complex picture: while heated tobacco products showed both potentially harmful and beneficial effects compared to traditional cigarettes, the observed benefits among smokers were inconsistent. The researchers also raised concerns about the methodological rigour of the evidence base. Many of the trials were of short duration and conducted in conditions that do not reflect real-world use. Notably, 29 of the 40 studies included in the review were sponsored or conducted by tobacco companies - organisations with a clear vested interest in demonstrating reduced harm.
So, while it is plausible that heated tobacco products are less harmful than smoking the current evidence is inconclusive. It is likely that they pose more health risks than vaping, but again evidence remains sparse.
Are heated tobacco products recommended for smoking cessation?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not currently recommend heated tobacco for smoking cessation. People who are using heated tobacco to quit smoking could consider switching to NICE-recommended stop smoking aids like licenced nicotine replacement products (patches and gum), medications or nicotine vapes. The most important thing is that they don’t relapse to smoking.
How are heated tobacco products regulated?
Heated tobacco is classified as a novel tobacco product and must comply with specific regulations under current tobacco laws. These include a ban on advertising and restrictions limiting sales to individuals over 18. However, unlike traditional cigarettes, heated tobacco products are not currently required to carry graphic health warnings and may include flavours such as menthol.
Concerns have been raised about how some retailers are promoting heated tobacco products in stores, despite legislation banning tobacco advertising being introduced in 2002. However, because heated tobacco did not exist in 2002, it is not explicitly named in the legislation – which defines a tobacco product as “consisting wholly or partly of tobacco and intended to be smoked, sniffed, sucked or chewed.” The government has been clear that the advertising ban “applies to all tobacco products, including novel tobacco products. It also applies to the indirect promotion of tobacco products by promoting devices that may only be used with tobacco products, such as the IQOS [heated tobacco] device.” Despite this, tobacco companies continue to market their heated tobacco products in shops.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will clarify the law to ensure that heated tobacco promotion is explicitly prohibited, as well as futureproofing the regulations to cover any novel tobacco products that may emerge in future.
