Abstract: In order to examine the recent advances in health risk evaluation on novel tobacco products, the published researches on toxicological evaluation of heat-not-burn tobacco products, smokeless tobacco products and electronic cigarettes were reviewed. Preclinical toxicological evaluation is an important part of the health risk assessment procedures for novel tobacco products. 1) The toxicological assays employed in the evaluation of carbon-tipped heating cigarettes and electrically heated cigarettes includes in vitro toxicity assays (such as bacterial mutagenicity assay, chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange, cytotoxicity assay, DNA damage and intracellular enzyme analysis) and also the tests based on animal models (such as dermal tumor promotion assay and aerosol inhalation studies). According to the literatures, the aerosol from heat-not-burn cigarettes possessed lower toxicity than those did from traditional cigarettes. 2) The toxicological assays applied to the evaluation of smokeless tobacco products includes Ames, cytotoxicity assay, cell proliferation assays, cell apoptosis assay, chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange, micronucleus assay and animal models. Research results indicated that smokeless tobacco products adversely impacted on human health. 3) The published information on the preclinical toxicology evaluation on electronic cigarettes is less up-to-date so far. Few studies have been published that systematically conducted cross-category risk assessments. Therefore, a series of in vitro toxicity assays and in vivo models should be developed to access the effects of different categories of tobacco products on disease risks and health outcomes, and they should be conducted scientifically, objectively and comprehensively, which would become an important part of tobacco-related health risk evaluation for Chinese tobacco industry.