Snus Packaging Attacked –- “The Silent Salesman?”

Leave it to the publication Packaging World to hone in on a core issue in anti-tobacco’s latest attack on snus and other smokeless products: The tobacco prohibitionists argue that the packaging, particularly the metal containers, are aimed at kids.

“Allegations are that recent product launches by R.J. Reynolds encourage nicotine consumption by children and that that's the company's strategy. In particular, it's alleged that packaging is a core component of that strategy.” Packaging World says the attack is on the packages’ “graphics and structure”. R.J. Reynolds denies the allegations.

Camel’s products sport “brightly-colored packaging, hues that appeal to youngsters, so say the critics. The colors and the other graphic elements convey an image that is ‘fun’ and ‘cool.’ The argument continues that, were the products exclusively geared to adults, the packaging would have a different look. Structurally, the packaging is not only compact, but sleek, even incorporating an ergonomic indentation that makes dispensing easier. … In all, graphics and structure coordinate, such that an unsuspecting adult, at a distance or by casual glance, might mistake the packaging as containing mints, candy, gum, etc. A similar case of mistaken identity might be committed by a hurried, inattentive retail check-out clerk.” 

It seems that prohibitionists are preparing to pressure the FDA to impose “plain brown wrapper” packaging rules on the smokeless industry. If they get their way, all smokeless products will ultimately be foul-tasting, smelly substances sold in ugly, ungainly packages.

Remember: You can buy the domains SwitchToSnus.com and SwitchToSmokeless.com by submitting your offer as a "comment" to this blog. Also buy TobaccoHomeDelivery.com the same way. Create your own domains for under $10 each here.

The Smokeless Tobacco Oral Cancer Myth - How It Got Its Start

Thanks to the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) for this most helpful dispatch, posted yesterday on their site:

In the wake of last week's U.S. House Subcommittee on Health hearing on smokeless tobacco, ACSH advisor and friend Dr. Brad Rodu has taken on one of the key witnesses. Dr. Rodu, an epidemiologist and oral pathology expert at the University of Kentucky, says in a post on his blog that National Cancer Institute epidemiologist Deborah Winn "fueled the misinformation campaign about smokeless tobacco almost 30 years ago."

Winn published a study in 1981 that "irresponsibly led the public and the medical establishment to falsely believe that smokeless tobacco was responsible for an American oral cancer epidemic," Dr. Rodu writes. Winn's study on mortality rates only applied to users of powdered dry snuff, used by a tiny number of women in the South, and should never have been applied to chewing tobacco and moist snuff. Winn admitted as much at a "sparsely attended scientific meeting" in 1986, Dr. Rodu says, but tobacco prohibitionists still misapply her mortality claims to all smokeless products.

Dr. Rodu is the co-author of ACSH's landmark article on smokeless tobacco and harm reduction,Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers."

Visit SwitchToSnus.com and SwitchToSmokeless.com or buy these valuable domains by submitting your offer as a "comment" to this blog.

Why Switch to Snus? To Eliminate Secondhand Smoke

There's another reason to switch to snus (SwitchToSnus.com) -- people exposed to secondhand smoke appear more likely to have chronic rhinosinusitis, according to a report in Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Secondhand smoke is said to contain more than 4,000 substances, including more than 50 that are either known or suspected to cause cancer, according to the article. An estimated 126 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, say the authors, C. Martin Tammemagi, D.V.M., M.Sc., Ph.D., of Brock University, St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues.

Latest Attack on Smokeless Tobacco? Accidental Child Poisoning

Smokeless tobacco products may be contributing to accidental poisonings in very young children, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. Between 2006 and 2008, some 1,800 U.S. youngsters accidentally consumed smokeless tobacco products, based on analysis of 13,705 tobacco-related reports to the nation’s poison control centers (vs. 3,600 poisonings a year involving cigarettes and filter tips). Alfred Aleguas, Jr., a co-author of the study from the Northern Ohio Poison Center, said a single Orb, which contains about 1 milligram of nicotine, is enough to sicken a small child, and a handful of pellets potentially could be lethal. Of course, there have not been any such dire consequences from the ingestions to date.

The study and attendant news reports failed to note just how common non-lethal accidental child poisoning is, and how varied the causes. Facts: There were an estimated 86,194 child poisoning incidents treated in US hospital emergency departments in 2004, amounting to 429.4 poisonings per 100000 children. Approximately 70% of the poisonings involved children 1 or 2 years of age. Approximately 59.5% of the poisonings involved oral prescription drugs, oral nonprescription drugs, or supplements. Other major product categories resulting in poisonings included cleaning products (13.2%), drugs and ointment preparations intended for external use (4.9%), and personal care products (4.7%). Approximately 54.7% of the poisonings involved products already subject to child-resistant packaging requirements under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 6 December 2008, pp. 1244-1251

The bottom line: Kids ingest anything within their reach, and smokeless products have not been shown to be any more likely to be ingested or to have more dire consequences than any other substance involved in accidental ingestion. Is there a move to ban drugs, supplements, ointments or personal care products?

Congress's House Health Subcommittee Hearing on Smokeless April 14

Well, the anti-tobacco folks decided not to take the relatively pro-smokeless tobacco 60 Minutes piece sitting down. They ran to their allies in Congress, and arranged a hearing for this Wednesday, at which time they will undoubtedly chastise CBS and throw more mud on smokeless. The topic for the hearing is "Smokeless Tobacco: Impact on the Health of Our Nation's Youth and Use in Major League Baseball." House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, 10 am.

Obviously, the anti's are going to push the unfounded theme that all marketing of smokeless is aimed at hooking kids on nicotine, in order to graduate them into smoking for life. The fact that there is absolutely no proof of any of this won't deter the tobacco prohibitionists from grandstanding on Wednesday.

Snus Comes Off Pretty Well on 60 Minutes Telecast

60 Minutes ran a rather positive news feature on smokeless tobacco last night, with emphasis on snus and secondarily on new Camel dissolvables. You can view the entire story here.

60 Minutes to Feature Smokeless Tobacco April 4

60 Minutes will broadcast a story on smokeless tobacco this Sunday,April 4th.  It is available on your local CBS station at 7 p.m. orearlier, depending on time zone.   The story will also be available inits entirety on the internet after the show.  The website iswww.60Minutes.com <http://www.60minutes.com/>.