The market test of Marlboro SNUS, a new spitless, smokeless tobacco product, has begun in the Dallas Area in an effort to spur sales as cigarette cons

August 18, 2007 - The market test of Marlboro SNUS, a new spitless, smokeless tobacco product, has begun in the Dallas Area in an effort to spur sales as cigarette consumption continuous to decline. Philip Morris has said, the popularity of Marlboro "may help encourage trial of SNUS by adult smokers." In Dallas, the law is simple - no smoking in restaurants. Now the new Philip Morris product will help tobacco users get around that.( CBS 11 News Dallas, Jay Gormley reporting). Already free coupons are available for Marlboro SNUS (Dallas - Craigslist). Our highest priority has to be keeping children from beginning to use tobacco products. Kylie Meiner, the tobacco prevention coordinator for Multnomah County (Oregon) where one of the two original test sites for Camel Snus is located is convinced that the marketing is aimed at young people. One direct mail item she received read “Camel Snus – be the 1st on your block to try it” (Portland Tribune, 11/20/2006). The European Court of Justice ruled on (December 2004) that an EU ban on the sale of snus - Swedish snuff tobacco - should remain in force. Noting the risk that young people would become addicted to nicotine if they begin to use snus, the Court said that its decision was motivated by a desire to protect the health of European citizens. (See SNUS.biz for more...) Some public health professionals seem to think SNUS should be used as a harm reduction product in inveterate (firmly and long established) smokers that have no interest in quitting, e.g. a paper by Dr. Brad Roduand William T. Godshall, M.P.H. entitled: "Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers," from the Dec. 21, 2006 issue (Vol. 3, issue 1) of Harm Reduction Journal. Tobacco companies are 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." We must prevent this from happening or we'll end up with a generation of nicotine addicts. See related Newsbriefs: August 14, 2007, August 7, 2007, August 6, 2007,July 6, 2007, July 5, 2007

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Camel SNUS ad appeared in the What's Up Section of the Raleigh News & Observer. ..

August 17, 2007 - Camel SNUS ad appeared in the What's Up Section of the Raleigh News & Observer. Raleigh is one of the new market test sites. What do you think?? Does this ad target hard-nosed existing smokers that refused to quit tobacco smoking??? See related Newsbriefs: August 14, 2007, August 10, 2007, August 3, 2007, July 27, 2007, July 23, 2007, July 13, 2007, July 12, 2007 and July 2, 2007. Click on image to enlarge.. (TobaccoWatch.org)

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Reynolds American rejected the anti-tobacco organization (American Legacy Foundation) claim ...

August 16, 2007 - Reynolds American rejected the anti-tobacco organization (American Legacy Foundation) claim that its Camel No. 9 cigarettes, which comes in black packages with pink trim, target girls and said it will continue to sell them. The foundation wanted the cigarettes removed from store, calling them a veiled attempt to sell more cigarettes to girls and young women.(Blumberg News) R.J. Reynolds urged to drop Camel No. 9 by Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press, Desert Morning News.. Dozens of women's and public health organizations on Wednesday called on R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. to remove from the market its Camel No. 9 cigarettes, a brand they say is cynically aimed at getting young, fashion-conscious women and girls to start smoking. At the same time, a congressional group said it had been rebuffed by major women's and fashion magazines (e.g., Glamour, September 2007, Camel No. 9 centerfold - TW) in their effort to get the magazines to stop publishing ads for the Camels and other cigarettes. The latest ad campaign for Camel No. 9 says "Now available in stiletto" — a longer, thinner cigarette. See related Newsbriefs: July 18, 2007, May 5, 2007, May 4, 2007, April 25, 2007, March 23, 2007 and February 23, 2007 Click on image to enlarge.

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NYC Warns Parents of Smoking Lawsuits...

August 16, 2007 - NYC Warns Parents of Smoking Lawsuits by Jill Gardiner, The New York Sun - Mayor Bloomberg said today that he has not decided whether to back a soon-to-be introduced bill in the City Council to prohibit smoking in cars with minors. He warned parents though that their children could target them in second-hand smoke lawsuits if they engage in the practice. "I've always thought, someday, somebody is going to sue. Some kid is going to sue their parents," the mayor said when asked whether he would back the legislation. Mr. Bloomberg said he would have to look at the legislation before deciding whether to support it. "I will say that if you have a child in a car and you smoke you are just really not being fair to that child." See related Newsbrief: August 15, 2007
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Israel - sucking tobacco' illegally imported under ministries' noses...

August 15, 2007 - Sucking tobacco' illegally imported under ministries' noses By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHA, The Jerusalem Post.. A fruit-flavored tobacco product called "Kicks," meant to be sucked for up to 30 minutes for its nicotine effect, is being imported from Sweden and sold illegally in chain stores and kiosks around Israel despite the lack of required authorizations from the Health and Trade ministries. The Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry cannot authorize the import of a food product unless the Health Ministry certifies that it is safe for consumption, and the sale of a food product in Israel without Health Ministry approval is a criminal offense. It was noted two decades ago, when former prime minister Ariel Sharon headed the Industry and Trade Ministry, he "adopted the Israeli Cancer Association's request" to bar the import of smokeless tobacco. This regulation "does not exist today, or it was removed [from the regulation books] a few months ago, and that today one can buy - in chain stores and kiosks - tobacco for sucking." The cancer association heads called on the ministers to "use the powers given to you by law and prohibit the import of sucking tobacco into Israel until it is stated categorically in the law that the product is safe for use and does not endanger health. It is important to note that today, sucking tobacco is prohibited for import and sale in all the European Union countries and permitted only in Sweden and non-EU Scandinavian countries - Norway."

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