Abstract: Irradiation technology was a green high-tech. It has been widely used in various fields, such as food processing and chemical materials. As a result, great economic and social benefits were obtained. The application of irradiation technology in tobacco industry would play multi-roles, such as disinfesting, anti-mildew, accelerating mellowing, improving smoking quality and degrading harmful ingredients. The applied research of irradiation in tobacco and effect of irradiation on the composition of tobacco were reviewed. The safety of tobacco irradiation was described. The problems of tobacco irradiation in application were indicated. The application prospects of irradiation technology were discussed, and future research on tobacco irradiation were also proposed.