HNB hinges on regulation

Heat not burn (HNB) products, which heat tobacco rather than incinerating it at temperatures that cause many harmful chemicals to form, represent a potentially promising public-health tool to reduce the harm of cigarette smoking, according to a new policy study by Edward Anselm, a senior fellow of the R Street Institute, a, public policy research organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA.

“Heating tobacco at lower temperatures than combustible cigarettes allows nicotine to be delivered in ways that retain much of the ritual and experience of smoking,” writes Anselm. “Comprehensive scientific programs have demonstrated these products present significantly reduced risk when compared to traditional cigarettes. Collectively, they represent a new set of tools to reduce the harm of combustible tobacco.”

HNB products are available in several markets. Anselm believes that their success in the United States may be dictated by how the Food and Drug Administration chooses to regulate them.

“While it appears the research programs to support HNB products are well on their way toward meeting the requirements for new and modified risk products, it is not yet clear how stringently the FDA will interpret the guidelines,” Anselm writes.