In Process - Harm reduction, let's get it right this time..

Harm Reduction - let's get in straight this time. Tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies aim to reduce the prevalence of tobacco-related harm by encouraging smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit to adopt less harmful ways of obtaining nicotine, such as pharmaceutical nicotine and oral tobacco snuff.

At one time the use of harm reduction tobacco products was for use specifically by the pool of inveterate (hard-nosed, long established, deep-rooted) cigarette smokers that refuse to consider trying to quit smoking tobacco. For example, supporters of harm reduction such as Brad Rodu, DDS and William T. Godshall, MPH authored a paper in the December 2006 issue of the Harm Reduction Journal entitled, "Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers," and Dr. Coral 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.

If we can limit the distribution of these harm reduction tobacco products in inveterate smokers then we are for use of these products. Of course, there needs to be agreement on who these people are. Dr. Rodu claims that 25 million of the 46 million current smokers in the U.S. are inveterate, “meaning that they are so addicted to nicotine that they cannot quit.” (Rodu B, Jansson C. Smokeless tobacco and oral cancer: a review of the risks and determinants. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 2004;15(5):252-63.) GALLUP - Among the 21% of Americans who say they smoke, 74% say they would like to give up smoking.

Joel Nitzkin, M.D., MPH, Chair AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force, American Association of Public Health Physicians: we our agreement (with us) is that if harm reduction products like SNUS could be limited to inveterate tobacco smokers then we would have no problem."

But this is impossible to limit the distribution of these products. As pointed out by John Britton, MD, Chair of the Royal Royal College of Physicians
Tobacco Advisory Group, a proponent of the use of harm reduction therapy, "It's tobacco companies job to sell as much tobacco as possible, so they will be targeting non-smokers rather than current ones, that's the worry."

Just looking at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco there no limitation on targeting a particular group of smokers everybody is fair game. This has been seen with Camel SNUS and the now with the different dosage forms of dissolvable products.

Dr. Rodu claims that Tobacco Free Kids because of their support for the FDA tobacco regulation bill that just became law will prevent smokers from learning about alternative less lethal tobacco products. He concludes as a result Tobacco Free Kids will help kill millions of smokers. (Professor: Tobacco Free Kids Will Help Kill Millions, James Dunworth, TobaccoToday, 5/15/2009)

First off, how does Dr.Rodu know that inveterate smokers to learn the art of snusing (http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2007/11/art-of-snusing.html). According to Murray Kessler, former Chief Operating Officer of UST and now Vice Chair of the Altria Group, Inc, has stated that "Nine out of 10 smokers that try smokeless still reject the product."

Sales of Snus (Swedish moist snuff) have failed just about everywhere in the world it has been marketed except in Sweden and Norway. In Sweden snus has been used for over 200 years it's a tradition - part of their culture. According to Dr. Karl E. Lund, research director at the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research in Norway (not an EU country) over the past decade, daily use of snus has tripled among teens and young adults. Swedish Match, makes what Dr. Lund calls "starter kits." "This is snus sold in glamorous metal boxes…where the snus is seasoned with different kinds of fruit flavors," he explains. "[They are] easy to use for snus novices." (NCI Cancer Bulletin, Feb 20, 2007 vol 4 number 8) The people that learn how to SNUS are young adults and kids that want to be young adults NOT inveterate smokers.

Even in Sweden the number of men using smokeless wet snuff (‘snus’) tobacco has fallen from 22 to 19 percent, while snus use among women has remained stable over the last five years at about 3 to 4 percent. These data comes from the annual survey carried out by the the Swedish National Institute of Public Health (Folkhälsoinstitutet) and presented in an article in the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper. The national public health survey has roughly 50,000 participants between the ages of 16 and 84-years-old.

Just about all tobacco manufacturers who are marketing a SNUS-type product in the US and even in Canada are disappointed with the results. Lorillard Tobacco Chairman, President and CEO Marty Orlowsky was asked to comment on their smokeless program. Well, I think we're experiencing a similar pattern as some of our competition as marketing or test marketing [SNUS] products. It's a relatively low level of interest that's being expressed by the consumers and we're just monitoring the situation as we move forward. I really don't have anything very specific to report. There have been no major changes to the consumer perceptions of that product.

Swedish Match makes a SNUS product called Triumph for Lorillard. The Lorillard salesman tells us that Triumph SNUS sales have gone poorly and it doesn't cost Lorillard anything to sell this pouch tobacco. Triumph SNUS..

UST, Inc executives prior to the company to be being acquired for the Altria Group. (UST Inc. was a holding company for its principal subsidiaries: USSTC and International Wine & Spirits Ltd.. USSTC is the leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco products.)

Dan Butler, former President of USSTC (United States Smokeless Tobacco Company) is very disappointed with the progress of the SNUS segment in total. The entire segment itself has gained very little traction, and we had plans to be more aggressive. Frankly, we are revisiting those because the size of this market and how slowly it's developing -- it's so tiny and taking so long to gain any traction. We've got almost seven years of experience with Revel SNUS (has been discontinued)and our competitors out there now for a couple of years -- we're struggling whether this segment is really going to take hold or not and whether an American consumer is really interested in this form of tobacco or not. (Within Altria Butler is president, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC), the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of smokeless tobacco.)

Murray Kessler, former Chief Operating Officer of UST, we are very disappointed in the total performance of whether -- they call it Snus or we call it spit-free. We've been testing this thing now for seven years. The newer entrance [entrees], if you go back, is now, in original markets, is over two years, and it is not gaining the traction, given the level of investment that's been put there. Kessler has stated in the past that "Nine out of 10 smokers that try smokeless still reject the product." (Kessler is now Vice Chair of Altria Group, Inc.)

Reynolds American (RAI) for some reason still remains upbeat regarding Camel SNUS. A Reynolds spokesperson David Howard tells people that the company is confident in the performance of Camel SNUS. Howard: "Based on our learnings since test marketing, clearly we believe that it is viable product. We were pleased with results in terms of sales, and in terms of feedback from...smokers as well as our retail customers." It is a product that "we think is going to perform very well down the road."

In May 2008 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco (RJR) test marketing of Camel SNUS went from eight to 17 metropolitan areas.(s It Justified - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Adding Test Cities for Camel SNUS Soon after Reynolds announced that Camel SNUS will be rolled out nationally early in 2009.

RJR has tried just about everything: from providing coupons, to stationing people at bars and c-stores, to running ads in various publications. Where has this got them - surely they've given away more cans of Camel SNUS than have been paid for. Now based on information from a c-store owner the RJR salesperson for the last 3-weeks has given him at no charge 25-cans of Camel Snus Frost and asked for him to pass them out to those people that may be interested in giving it a try. Well - the owner can't even give the stuff away, even to dippers finally (he tells us) someone came into to the store and asked for Camel SNUS Original flavor and when asked was willing to take a bunch of the free cans.
(Lots of news briefs in support of our point of view in the archive, here's a couple: C-store+ update..Camel SNUS, Camel ORBS and other news..; C-Store Update - How bad are Camel SNUS sales??) The flooding of the market with free cans of Camel SNUS doesn't seem to work.



RAI spokespeople to justify Camel dissolvables have stated that some smokers didn’t care for loose tobacco or pouched smokeless products, particularly ones they had to remove from their mouth after use - like SNUS. R.J. Reynolds has dropped the Camel SNUS Original and Spice flavors and now has two - Frost and a new flavor called Mellow and reduced the number of pouches per can from 20 to 15.






The few people that use the stuff in the U.S. are young adults and kids that want to be young adults. There is an art to SNUSing - if the bag is not placed in the proper place (and kept there without movement for like 25 minutes) the flow of saliva is increased and the user has the urge to spit.

“Markets like Russia will be the opportunity, where snus is already sold but with limited presence and knowledge,” said David Hayes, an analyst at Nomura in London.
As Swedish Match learned in Russia (Snus product called Click) with no prior Snus tradition - it is a matter of marketing an entire new behavior pattern and teaching consumers. You would think, that if a tobacco users have to change their behavior, they might as well give up tobacco products and live longer.

“It’s a very difficult thing to persuade people to put tobacco in their mouths and suck,” said Jonathan Fell, an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG, who has a “hold” rating on Swedish Match. “It will be a long haul for everybody,” and probably won’t have a meaningful effect on profit for five to 10 years, he said.

In the US and even in Canada sales of SNUS have ben disappointing. Again ...
Kessler, we are very disappointed in the total performance of whether -- they call it Snus or we call it spit-free. We've been testing this thing now for seven years. The newer entrance [entrees], if you go back, is now, in original markets, is over two years, and it is not gaining the traction, given the level of investment that's been put there.

Reynolds has tried every possible marketing scheme without success. No way they are targeting older established .

There is a technique to using SNUS properly - if not mastered increasing amounts of saliva wiil be produced resultingin the user having the urge to spot.. Art of Snsing/..

Who do you think has time to learn the art to avoid spitting? - young adults and kids that want to be young adults. (Are adults snoozing while kids are "snusing?"..http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/04/are-adults-snoozing-while-kids-are.htm , Experience of a High School Student Using Camel SNUS - from the Kansas City Star, 10/31/2007 http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2007/11/experience-of-high-school-student-using.html )


NO proof these SNUS products will, help smoker quit the use of tobacco. I Sweden have NOT ben used to wean people off tobacco.

At present products an be promoted in such a way that encourage young adults and yes kids that want to be young adults..


Reason put forward by Reynolds American for moving to tobacco dissolvables: Tobacco companies say snus (Swedish style moist snuff, pronounced snooze) has become so popular, they're taking the next step, totally dissolvable tobacco for traditional smokers that will solve all kinds of problems. - within reference look for "Costello" This statement is NOT true sales of snus have been poor.


American Heart Association, says his organization has found many of the smokeless products are packaged and flavored in ways that resemble candy.

Recently was at a local convenience store keeping up with the happenings and picked out of the trash a discarded Rolling Stone magazine (July 9-23, 209). There was one tobacco ad on thicker paper in the center of the magazine for Camel SNUS with a coupon for a free can with any tobacco purchase. We've seen similar coupons but even with the item free people aren't anxious to give it a try. Leslie Zeifman of Straight Arrow Publishing Co., Inc. owners of Rolling Stone magazines, Rolling Stone still seeks readers who are "hip and young." (THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; Spin Hopes To Challenge Rolling Stone
Published: Monday, July 2, 1990)

Is It Justified - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Adding Test Cities for Camel SNUS..
http://www.topix.com/business/tobacco/2008/05/is-it-justified-r-j-reynolds-tobacco-adding-test-cities-for-camel-snus

I'm sure you will agree our kids are still our number one priority http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/01/our-kids-are-still-our-number-one.html . Tobacco companies are gearing up to provide smokeless tobacco in various forms that kids will just love such as sprays, toothpicks, lozenges, film strips like Listerine strips http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/stop-proliferation-of-flavored-tobacco.html . If this happens we'll end up with our future leaders addicted to nicotine never able to reach their full potential.

Tobacco harm reduction chief spokespersons (Godshall and Rodu) not concerned about kids..