The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new heat-not-burn tobacco device called IQOS from Philip Morris, clearing a path for the tobacco giant to compete in the market for alternatives to traditional cigarettes.

“While the authorization of new tobacco products doesn’t mean they are safe, the review process makes certain that the marketing of the products is appropriate for the protection of the public health, taking into account the risks and benefits to the population as a whole,” Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said Tuesday.