Ottawa becoming next test market for Snus..

January 25, 2008 - (a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of British American Tobacco(BAT))announces today (1/24/2008)that in late January 2008 Ottawa will be the site of the Company's next test market for its Swedish-style snus smokeless tobacco product. The Company introduced its first snus test market in Edmonton last September. As written by Imperial the most effective way to avoid the risk of long term chronic disease possibly ending death is not to use any tobacco products. (Imperial Tobacco Canada expands harm reduction program with start of SNUS test market in Ottawa, Canadian Business Online, 1/24/2008) Snus will be available starting Monday(1/28/2008) at about 200 stores across Ottawa, one snus pouch has 0.4 grams of tobacco, a tin of 20 pouches is expected to sell for about 80 per cent of the price of a pack of premium cigarettes. The Imperial spokesperson was unable to say how well snus is selling in Edmonton. "Its hard to tell at this point how consumers are reacting to it because it's such a small test market and the level of awareness is relatively low," she said. If snus sales are anything like in the U.S. - they must be poor, e.g, Marlboro SNUS. Health Canada has said snus products are not safe alternatives to cigarettes. The ministry notes it is addictive and can cause serious health problems. ( "Critics raise alarm over smokeless tobacco" by Thulasi Srikanthan, The Ottawa Citizen, 1/25/2008) So why let these tobacco market tests continue?? See related news briefs: October 29, 2007, October 4, 2007, October 4, 2007 September 12, 2007 and May 8, 2007.