Smokeless Tobacco products with up to 700% more flavor additives than candy..

Our Children Our Future
January 15, 2010 - Dr. James Pankow - “The bottom line for our paper is that the flavorant levels in the smokeless products are in general markedly higher than in popular wintergreen and menthol flavored tobacco products,” said Pankow. “Moreover, the amount of wintergreen flavorant could by itself pose serious health risks to some consumers.”

Recently, smokeless tobacco giant Swedish Match has been accused of adding a substance to moist snuff or 'snus' known as E500, to purposely increase the amount of so-called ‘free’ nicotine – which increases dependency increase user dependency and, in turn, boosts sales of their products. (Swedish Match accused of adding substance to moist snuff (snus) to purposely increase user dependency and in turn, boosts sales..)

PAPER: Levels of mint and wintergreen flavorants: Smokeless tobacco products vs. confectionery products, Chen C, Isabelle LM, Pickworth WB, Pankow JF,
Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, , Portland, OR 97207, United States, Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Jan 11, 2010, ABSTRACT...

The paper discusses measurements of methyl salicylate (wintergreen) and menthol flavorants in a large number of smokeless tobacco products. “The bottom line for our paper is that the flavorant levels in the smokeless products are in general markedly higher than in popular wintergreen and menthol flavored tobacco products,” said Pankow. “Moreover, the amount of wintergreen flavorant could by itself pose serious health risks to some consumers.”

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Some directly related news briefs:
C-store update - let's ban all flavored tobacco products..;
Internet, Flavors everywhere - snuff being marketed to kids as hip, cool and healthy..;
U.S. - flavored cigarettes illegal - now how about all tobacco products..;
For our children ban all flavored tobacco products..;
Camel Dissolvables - can they be considered candy-like..;
STOP the Release of Dissolvable Tobacco Products..;
We must stop the launch of dissolvable tobacco products..;
STOP - the Proliferation of Flavored Tobacco Products...

Comments on paper from healthcare professionls:

Donald Austin, president of the Oregon Public Health Association
“Chronic salicylate toxicity can occur from long term exposure to moderate doses of salicylates, from common sources such as aspirin. An international guideline limits the daily ingestion of methyl salicylate when used as a flavorant, such as in candies, but Professor Pankow and his team have shown that certain smokeless tobacco products contain methyl salicylate far in excess of that amount. Tobacco companies already disregard many serious health hazards posed by the use of their products. Do they ignore the international safety limits and the risk of chronic salicylate poisoning out of ignorance, or out of cynicism and contempt for their customers? They should not be allowed to expose tobacco users to additional toxic risks from flavoring additives.”

Brett Hamilton, executive director of Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon
"Flavored tobacco products are a major concern because they are sure to lure even more kids into tobacco use and addiction. These new products no doubt appeal to kids because of their candy-like forms and flavors. In spite of promises by the tobacco industry, smokeless tobacco products continue to be marketed in a wide variety of kid-friendly candy and fruit flavors.”

Channing Robertson, professor at Stanford University and member of the World Health Organization (WHO) study group on Tobacco Product Regulation
“Pankow and his collaborators provide compelling evidence that the tobacco industry continues its quest to manufacture terribly addictive and hazardous products that are particularly attractive to young people. By flavoring a product to mask its otherwise appallingly disgusting taste, these companies extend their reach into the marketplace to sustain and often grow their addicted consumer base thereby perpetuating their business of raining disease and death on those who in the end would choose to stop using these products could they readily do so.”

Reference: Portland State University researchers find Smokeless Tobacco products with up to 700% more flavor additives than candy, Portland State University, 1/2010..