Experience of a High School Student Using Camel SNUS - from the Kansas City Star, 10/31/2007..

November 1, 2007 - We have warned people for the last 2-years - those that favor the use of SNUS in harm reduction are convincing our youngsters that the product is save so give it a try. It could happen that our youngsters could be the next generation of nicotine addicts never able to reach their full potential... Experience of a High School Student Using Camel SNUS - from the Kansas City Star, 10/31/2007.. As the Shawnee Mission East choir hit its final note, senior Clark Neal felt the nicotine start to work. It had been only five minutes since he bent down, opened a tin of Camel Snus Spice and wedged the tiny pouch between his gums and upper lip, but he could already feel the buzz. And the best part was, no one could tell he was getting a head rush in the middle of class. 'I really can use Snus whenever and wherever I want,' Neal said. 'It's easy, it's super-discreet ... and none of the teachers will ever know what I'm doing.' Neal knows he isn't the only student who has discovered Camel's newest product: Snus, a non-chew, no-spit oral tobacco. Four or five of his friends use Snus at school on a daily basis, Neal said, and underclassmen find the new product especially appealing. Neal thinks students will continue to use Snus because it's a cheap way to get a fast, discreet fix. 'Pretty much the whole school knows about Snus,' Neal said. Snus has been advertised in The Pitch and The Kansas City Star. In 'The Abridged Guide to Snusing,' published by RJ Reynolds in The Pitch, Snus is described as the perfect tobacco product if you want 'pleasure for wherever.''Tobacco companies are doing everything they can to make tobacco use socially acceptable,' said Edward Ellerbeck, chairman of preventive medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. 'They're flavoring it to make it more appetizing, redesigning the tins to make it more appealing, making everything easier for entry-level use.' Health experts say that's what makes Snus even more dangerous for the younger generation. Doing Snus, getting a head rush and not being caught is appealing to kids, Ellerbeck said, and it's easy to overlook health risks. 'High school kids using Snus scares the hell out of me,' Ellerbeck said. 'Fewer and fewer kids are starting to smoke ... but you can see that for tobacco companies to ensure long-term success, they need a whole new generation of tobacco users. Snus could be the product that sucks kids in.' 'This product allows you to enjoy tobacco pleasure without bothering others.' Instead of smoking a pack of cigarettes a week, Neal, 17, goes through a tin of Snus Spice, or 20 pouches, a week. He pays an 18-year-old friend $8 to buy a $5 tin for him. Neal considers his switch a healthy choice. He hasn't smoked a cigarette in more than a month. Neal, however, considers the benefits of private Snus use more important than potential health and legal hazards. 'I think it's really worth more in terms of when and how frequently I can use it,' Neal said. 'It's a new product, so you have to give it time. But I think it will filter through to everyone eventually.' ( If you think Snus is a safe alternative to smoking, think again, Kansas City Star, 10/31/2007)