Tobacco company says it's launching product in Austin to help smokers quit cigarettes

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tobacco company Philip Morris International Inc. is launching a new product pilot in Austin, which it says is designed to help smokers quit cigarettes.

IQOS is a new, smokeless way to consume nicotine that heats up tobacco rather than burning it, the company said.

Consuming the product still comes with health risks. However, the company said it significantly reduces the intake of harmful chemicals compared to conventional cigarettes.

"(IQOS) releases nicotine through an aerosol that is mostly water, glycerin, and nicotine," said Phillip Morris International U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy. "More than 70% of smokers that have tried IQOS for consistently two weeks have been able to stop smoking cigarettes for good by switching."

While the company is already selling the heated tobacco product internationally, the launch in Austin marks its first foray into the U.S.

The new device is similar to an e-cigarette or vape in that it heats a substance the user then inhales. However, IQOS is the first product in the U.S. to heat tobacco directly.

Vaping has been widely criticized for its popularity among teenagers in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said nearly 8% of high school students currently use them, according to a survey this year.

Kennedy said IQOS does not and will not market to anyone younger than 21, adding that its research shows nearly 0% of non-smokers start using IQOS.

"We market only to smokers or traditional tobacco users who are using nicotine already," she said. "If you're already using nicotine, particularly smoking, and aren't able to quit, then it's much better to switch to a product that is significantly better."

The company said it's going to start with research and focus groups in Austin, before eventually making IQOS available to the public.