An aerosol delivery system has a fluid-transfer article which holds an aerosol precursor and transfers that aerosol precursor to a transfer surface of the fluid-transfer article. The system comprises a heater, and the fluid-transfer article comprises a first region for holding an aerosol precursor and for transferring said aerosol precursor to the transfer surface. The heater comprises a porous element adjacent to but separable from said transfer surface of said fluid-transfer article and at least one heating element on an activation surface of said porous element, which activation surface is on the opposite side of the porous element from the fluid-transfer article.
