Everything You Need to Know About IQOS

After a wait of two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Tuesday authorized sales of a new gadget that heats tobacco instead of burning it.

The IQOS device is made by Philip Morris International. It works by heating tobacco-filled sticks (called Heatsticks) to make a nicotine-rich spray. The FDA approved the FDA's decision to allow the device to be marketed in the United States. However, IQOS is not yet labeled as a lower-risk alternative to cigarettes. Even though it produces fewer cancer-causing chemicals than traditional cigarettes, FDA has not approved a separate application to make IQOS a safer alternative. It's not yet clear if IQOS can help smokers quit.

Philip Morris USA and Altria, its parent company, will sell IQOS to the U.S. according to a release. The spokesperson for Altria stated that the product will be "priced incentivizing" adult smokers who are seeking alternatives to smoking.