One Free Tin of Any Camel SNUS ..

September 18, 2007 - One Free Tin of Any Camel SNUS - these coupons are now being passed out to patrons at c-stores in the various cities where Camel SNUS is being test marketed. R.J. Reynolds must be worried that Marlboro SNUS is coming and they need to establish loyal customers now. Tobacco companies are prodding public health officials to come forward and support claims about how safe smokeless tobacco products like SNUS. Certain public health professionals have played right into their hands and have even been outspoken on how safe smokeless tobacco is compared to tobacco smoking. The populations these public health officials are targeting are inveterate (hard-nosed, long established, deep-rooted) cigarette smokers that refuse to consider trying to quit smoking tobacco. For example, Dr. Brad Rodu and William T. Godshall, M.P.H. paper in the December 2006 issue of the Harm Reduction Journal entitled, "Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers," or Dr. Carol Gartner and colleagues paper in the June 16, 2007 issue of The Lancet concluded that SNUS could produce a net health benefit in inveterate smokers. We have no problem trying to convince inveterate smokers to use SNUS. But it would be impossible to limit distribution of smokeless tobacco products to these inveterate tobacco smokers. Tobacco companies have an entirely different goal in mind – they are already targeting a much younger crowd of young adults and any kids they can entice along the way - witness the tagline for Camel SNUS: "Pleasure for wherever." Another example: Cathryn Cushing, a specialist with the Oregon's Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, "I see it as a young adult marketing strategy, and we have a lot of hip young adults in this city," Cushing said. And "if it appeals to a 22-year-old, I think you can assume it will appeal to a 16-year-old. Because what do 16-year-olds want to be? Twenty-two" (The Oregonian, 1/7/2007) Or a comment from Mitch Zeller, health policy consultant who was director of the Office of Tobacco Programs at the FDA during the Clinton Administration, said the web site for Camel Snus "seems aimed at young adult males to get them to start using products." The site says Reynolds found Snus in Sweden, "home of the world's best meatballs, massage and blondes." In Sweden (2004), where SNUS originated, it has been found that the use of snuff decreases with age and was the highest in the age group 18-29 years. Click on images to enlarge.. (TobaccoWatch.org)