Documentation: For Our Children - ban all dissolvable tobacco products - permanently..

December 21, 2010 -

"Our Highest Priority Has To Be Keeping Children From Beginning To Use Tobacco Products" Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the USA..

December 21, 2010 - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco confirms Camel Dissolvables being pulled from all 3-test markets..

December 20, 2010 - Ohio - R.J. Reynolds will no longer test market dissolvable tobacco products here but will add more cities next month..

Archive of previously released news briefs on Camel dissolvable tobacco products:

October 8, 2008 - R.J. Reynolds Dissolvables - it looks like candy..;
November 18, 2008 - Reynolds America moving ahead with dissolvable tobacco products..;
December 9, 2008 - We must stop the launch of dissolvable tobacco;
December 20, 2008 - Oregon - smoking ban to expand, prepares for Camel Dissolvables..;
December 25, 2008 - STOP the Release of Dissolvable Tobacco Products..;
January 15, 2009 - Camel Tobacco Dissolvables - Natl Assoc of Attorneys General - wait and see!!;
January 26, 2009 - Why does R.J. Reynolds Tobacco keep on selecting Portland, OR as a test site..;
February 15, 2009 - Poison Control Centers - Camel Dissolvables - Nicotine Toxicity..;
March 18, 2009 - U.S. - A contradiction H.R. 1261 Youth Prevention and Tobacco Harm Reduction..;
March 21, 2009 - Tobacco harm reduction chief spokespersons not concerned about kids..;
March 23, 2009 - Portland, Oregon - Camel ORBS - candy-like tobacco tablets..;
March 24, 2009 - Dissolving Tobacco Hits Columbus, OH Test Market - see VIDEO..;
March 31, 2009 - Orbs now come free with purchase of Camel, Winston, Kool, Salem and other RJ Reynolds brands..;
April 13, 2009 - Children in Indiana starting to use smokeless tobacco products..;
April 22, 2009 - C-store+ update..Camel SNUS, Camel ORBS and other news..;
May 25, 2009 - Camel ORBS flavored candy shaped tobacco pellets..;
May 26, 2009 - U.S. - snuff out dissolvable smokeless-tobacco products before they can get a toehold ..;
June 9 2009 - Camel Dissolvables - can they be considered candy-like..;
June 11, 2009 - Senate Bill S.982 - Final Vote Today - "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act..";
June 30, 2009 - More on FDA tobacco regulations..;
August 20, 2009 - C-store update - R.J. Reynolds starts test marketing Camel Dissolvable Sticks and Strips, Marlboro Blend No. 54, Skoal..;
September 22, 2009 - C-store update: flavored tobacco, camel dissolvables, Moist snuff, Camel Dip, etc..;
September 20, 2009 - Indianapolis, Indiana - tobacco control people are furious - city used as test market again..;
September 22,2009 - C-store update: flavored tobacco, camel dissolvables, Moist snuff, Camel Dip, etc..;
September 28, 2009 - Camel Dissolvables - Columbus, OH - Tobacco mints a lot like candy?;
November 9, 2009 - C-store Update - Camel Dissolvable Sampler Packs, Skoal pouches, etc..;
November 16, 2009 - C-Store Update - Camel Dissolvable Tobacco Sampler and etc..;
January 11, 2010 - C-store update - changes c-stores, Camel Orbs, free Marlboro t-shirts, etc..;
January 15, 2010 - Smokeless Tobacco products with up to 700% more flavor additives than candy..;
February 3, 2010 - U.S. FDA - concerned that dissolvable tobacco products could draw in children and teenagers..;
February 14, 2010 - C-store Update - competing for space, Marlboro SNUS, Camel Dissolvables, Grizzly 1900s, etc..;
March 16, 2010 - National Poison Prevention Week - March 14 - 20, 2010;
March 25, 2010 -Provo, Utah - county warns about dangers of dissolvable tobacco products..;
April 5,2010 - R.J. Reynolds submits information on Camel Dissolvables to FDA as requested..;
April 14, 2010 - National Poison Prevention Week - March 14 - 20, 2010;
April 19,2010 - Singapore - tobacco dissolvables now infesting this health conscious country..;
April 28,2010 - U.S. -
May 7, 2010 - Virginia - 1 of 3 teenagers identified smokeless tobacco products as candy or gum..;
May 11, 2010 - Pets can be harmed by second-hand smoke and/or ingestion of tobacco products..;
July 25, 2010 - FDA CTP SAC - agenda altered - dissolvable tobacco removed..;
July 30, 2010 - Minnesota - as of August 1st, new state law that protects kids from the harmful effects of tobacco..;
September 28, 2010 _ Glaxo Smith Kline calls on U.S. govt to eliminate dissolvable tobacco products..;

For our kids let's permanently ban dissolvable tobacco products..

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R.J. Reynolds Tobacco confirms Camel Dissolvables being pulled from all 3-test markets..

Click to enlarge..
December 21, 2010 - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. confirmed for CSP Daily News reports of the tobacco company's intent to pull the Camel Dissolvables line of smokeless tobacco products--Camel Sticks, Strips and Orbs--from current lead tests markets of Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis and Portland, Ore.

Customers had received word about the product removal through a letter sent from R.J. Reynolds, said The Indianapolis Star. To view this letter: Direct mail letter informing the receiver that Camel Dissolvables are being removed from the receiver's area... (Many thanks to trinketsandtrash.org..)

David Howard, spokesperson for Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), Winston-Salem, N.C., told CSP Daily News, "We have made the business decision that we are going to be going to new lead markets for our dissolvable tobacco products late in the first quarter of 2011. As a result of that, we will be leaving the current three lead markets--Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis and Portland, Ore."

He added, "We are leaving those lead markets after gaining learnings from adult tobacco consumers over the past two years. Those products have been available in those markets since the first quarter of 2009. And we're very pleased with the feedback we've received from [those] consumers following the introduction of Camel dissolvable tobacco products. Now, we have made the business decision to go to new lead markets in order to gain additional feedback and new perspectives." (RAI comment from q3 2001 highlights: R.J. Reynolds continues to gain valuable consumer insights on Camel’s new line of innovative dissolvable tobacco products — Orbs, Sticks and Strips. These insights will help the company as it continues to refine its dissolvable product offerings. RAI - highlights q3 2010 earnings report..)

He did not specify the new lead markets.

Camel Sticks, Strips and Orbs drew controversy, according to the newspaper, because some people believed that the packaging looks too similar to gum or candy, and because of their "Mellow" and "Fresh" flavors. (Virginia - 1 of 3 teenagers identified smokeless tobacco products as candy or gum..)

In a statement, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids called on R.J. Reynolds "to permanently pull these products" from the marketplace. "The Camel dissolvable products appeal to children in that they are easily concealed and colorfully packaged, shaped and flavored to resemble mints or gum. These products also have been marketed as an alternative to cigarettes in the growing number of places where smoking is not allowed, which discourages smokers from quitting and truly protecting their health." (R.J. Reynolds Pulls Dissolvable Smokeless Products from Test Markets; Company Must Stop Pushing Tobacco Products that Entice Kids)

Howard said, "These are tobacco products that provide...consumers options to enjoy tobacco without bothering others. And we also believe that these dissolvable tobacco products can meet societal expectations, in that there is no secondhand smoke, there is no spitting and there is no cigarette-butt litter because the products dissolve. These are [among] the learnings."

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is already reviewing the impact of dissolvable tobacco products on public health under its new authority to regulate tobacco products granted in June 2009 by the Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act.

Dr. Lawrence Deyton, head of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, wrote February 1, 2010: FDA is "concerned that children and adolescents may find dissolvable tobacco products particularly appealing, given the brightly colored packaging, candy-like appearance and easily concealable size of many of these products." (U.S. FDA - concerned that dissolvable tobacco products could draw in children and teenagers..)

While FDA in its letters to the two companies acknowledged the products are marketed to adults, it nonetheless asked both manufacturers for extensive information on research and marketing practices for the products. Star Scientific and Reynolds have two months to respond.

The FDA Letter to Industry on Dissolvable Smokeless Tobacco Products:
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company..
Star Scientific, Inc

Added Howard, the spokesperson for Reynolds American Inc." "We have already provided [the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC)] millions of pages of documents at their request. TPSAC...is supposed to present its findings and recommendations related to dissolvables to the FDA in April 2012," added Howard.

Reference: Dissolvable Learnings
R.J. Reynolds shifting Camel Sticks, Strips, Orbs to new lead markets by Greg Lindenberg, CSP Daily News, 12/21/2010.
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Spain - new smoking ban goes into effect January 2, 2011 - how many jobs will be lost??

December 20, 2010 - Spain will be jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon the first of the year, bringing it up to par with the European Union’s tough stand on smoking in public places.

The Institute of Economics Studies (IEE) calculates that around 50,000 jobs will be lost in the hotel and catering industry as a result of the anti-smoking laws due to come into force on January 2, 2011. The latest study suggests that the new laws will see a 3-3.5% job loss in a sector that currently employs approximately 1.5 million people, which would in turn have a "very negative impact" on the sector's contribution to the GDP, which currently stands at 7.2%.

Spain’s restaurant and bar federation predict losses of 145,000 jobs in the industry and a 10 percent decline in revenue due to the tough anti-smoking law. (Spain set to implement tough anti-smoking laws by Kim I. Hartman, Digital Journal, 10/23/2010)

However, health ministry officials said similar laws have been put into place in Britain and France in recent years and business was not affected that badly, says the Barcelona Reporter. Many disagree with this premise.

Spain will amend its anti-tobacco law to extend a smoking ban to bars, cafes, restaurants and all other enclosed public spaces in the country. The current law put in place in 2006 prohibits smoking in the workplace, and workers puffing away just outside their office buildings are a common sight. But that law aimed at cracking down on smoking allowed owners of most bars and cafes to decide on their own whether to allow smoking - and almost all ended up doing so, leading critics to label the earlier law as a total failure.

Made it tougher than some nations that allow bar and restaurant smoking sections. Those bar and cafe owners will now lose the privilege, and larger restaurants that still have smoking sections will have to get rid of them. It goes even further by prohibiting smoking in outdoor places such as playgrounds and the grounds of schools and hospitals.

There are some exceptions to the rules, hotels were given permission to set aside 30% of their rooms for smokers but a plea from the bar / restaurant federation was rejected to enable them to set up isolated space within their premises for smokers. It is also permitted to smoke within special zones in the following enclosed areas prisons, psychiatric wards and old people’s homes.

Smoking will be allowed in terraces, at stadiums, at bullrings, and at all open spaces.

The ban is necessary because smoking is one of the biggest killers in Spain, with some 50,000 smoking-related deaths annually (population: 47 million). Officials predict thousands of lives now lost to second-hand smoke will be saved.
Spain’s National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking says up to 1,000 Spanish bar waiters die yearly from lung cancer, mainly from breathing in so much second hand smoke. Many more lives would be saved eventually in Spain by making it more difficult for smokers to puff away almost anywhere, said Dr. Jose Carreras who heads the anti-smoking unit at Madrid’s Hospital Carlos III.

“When these measures are implemented, there is a much more noticeable decrease in people quitting smoking than at this moment,” he said. “This means that in 20 years time there will be a decrease in deaths due to smoking related diseases.”

References:
Spain's Biggest Ever Counterfeit Cigarette Network Dismantled ..;
Spain - movement - anti-smoking bill calls for all bars and restaurants to be totally smoke free..;
Anti-smoking laws will mean loss of 50,000 jobs By: ThinkSpain- 12/10/2010; Spain set to implement tough anti-smoking laws by Kim I. Hartman, Digital Journal, 10/23/2010; Anti Smoking Laws Passed by Spanish Parliament,kyero.com, 10/20/2010; Spain to extend smoking ban to bars, restaurants next year, SpanishVida.com, 6/3/2010.

Spain - related news briefs:
Paper: Spain - cost of each pack of cigarettes up to $150..;
Spain - doctors call for tobacco sales banned in vending machine in bars and from kiosks..;
Spain - the Basque Governing Council gives green to the latest anti-smoking bill..:
Spain - ban smoking legislation wins unanimous support in parliament..;
Spain - tougher smoking restrictions not until 2011..;
Spain - Indonesia`s clove cigarettes popular in Spain..;
Spain - health minister believes society mature enough to accept total smoking ban..;
Spain - cigarette sales are up - so what else is new!!;
Spain - zero tolerence smoking ban this year or next??:
Spain - in June 2010 government will present a law to congress to ban smoking in closed public places..;
Spain - government postpones debate on tougher smoking legislation..;
Spain - smoking ban to be implemented on January 1, 2010 still being delayed..;
Spain - still some hesitation on total smoking ban for country..;
Spain - hotel and catering industry protests plan to ban smoking next year..;
Spain - hopes next year to expand ban on smoking in enclosed public places..;
Spain - impact of 2006 law banning smoking in public places..;
Spain - ready for expansion and enforcement of Anti-Smoking Act..;
Spain - ready for full smoking ban in public places..;
Spain - ban smoking public places - a lot of talk no action..;
Spain plans gruesome images on cigarette packs sometime in future...
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Ohio - R.J. Reynolds will no longer test market dissolvable tobacco products here but will add more cities next month ..

December 20, 2010 - R.J. Reynolds will end test-marketing in Columbus of a controversial tobacco-infused mint, but company officials said they plan to introduce the mint in other test markets next month. David Howard, an RJR spokesman, said the company decided to "make them available to adult tobacco consumers" in new test markets. He declined to say which cities will have the dissolvable mints, but he said they will not be in Ohio.

The product has provoked intense criticism from opponents of smoking such as Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who have argued that the dissolvable mints are designed to hook children on nicotine. (U.S. Senate Health Committee Adopts Merkley-Brown Amendment on Tobacco Candy..)

"Both the flavoring and packaging of these products were clearly aimed to younger people,'' said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in Washington.

Brown said that although the removal of the mints from Columbus stores "is an encouraging step, I remain concerned about tobacco companies' plans to further test or market smokeless 'tobacco candy' products ... elsewhere in the country." (U.S. - senator urges FDA to pull dissolvable tobacco products from test market sites..)

Howard insisted that the products are not intended for teenagers and younger kids. "It is very clear that these are tobacco products sold to adult tobacco consumers," he said. (Camel Dissolvables - can they be considered candy-like..)

Test-marketing of the mints began last year in Columbus and two other cities. Howard said the products will not be removed from Columbus stores, but the company will no longer "replenish" local supplies. (Dissolving Tobacco Hits Columbus, OH Test Market - see VIDEO..; C-Store Update - Camel Dissolvable Tobacco Sampler and etc..)

Reference: Local test of tobacco mints to end Trial marketing of product to shift to other U.S. cities by Jack Torry, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 12/18/2010. Read more...

UAE - very sad.. 40% of teenagers between ages of 13 and 15 smoke..

UAE - Coat of Arms
December 19, 2010 - The battle to curb the growing number of teenage smokers is being impeded by the ease with which they can get their hands on cigarettes. Data projections show that 40 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 are smokers, up from 24 percent five years ago, according to the Ministry of Health.

January 19, 2009 - UAE - Quadruple Cigarette Price - Prevent Kids from Smoking..

To fight this trend, Law 15, issued last year by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE, set the age for buying tobacco products at 18 and gave vendors the right to ask for proof. The same legislation sets a penalty for selling tobacco to minors of at least one year in jail and/or a fine between Dh100,000 and Dh1 million. (On January 6, 2010 President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued UAE the federal anti-tobacco law..)

But the law of the land is not the way of the street and teenagers say that despite the new regulations, they have no trouble buying tobacco products in shops.

ER, a 17-year-old student in Abu Dhabi, describes himself as a “very casual smoker” . He tried his first cigarette when he was aged 14 and has never been asked for identification when buying tobacco, despite his youthful appearance. “I rarely buy a pack, most of the time I bum some off my friends,” ER said. “But even then, they never really have a hard time getting their hands on a pack.”

ER and a friend, with the approval of their parents, agreed to show The National how easy it was for minors to purchase tobacco products. They first went to five neighbourhood grocery stores, where all the friends bought cigarettes. According to ER, buying packs from these small stores “was never a problem”.

However, larger supermarkets and stores proved more conservative. After going to the Smokers’ Centre in Marina Mall, ER came out empty-handed. “They asked me how old I was, I told them I was 18 and they just shooed me away,” he said. With its main operations based in Dubai, the store chose to follow that emirate’s age restrictions. When ER’s companion gave it another try, claiming he was 21, he was also turned down after failing to present proof.

Petrol stations in Dubai also demonstrated more restraint. The two Emirates and Enoc petrol stations approached in the trial sold cigarettes to 17-year-old AK, without asking for proof of age. However, his 15-year-old companion failed when he tried to buy cigarettes. “When I was younger and would pass by the petrol station with my school uniform, they would immediately reject selling me cigarettes,” AK said.

Shisha (Sheesha, hubble-bubble, Hookah, Narghile, Waterpipe) cafes, popular hang-outs for young adults, are also more careful. “Most cafes would ask how old you are,” said ER, “and if they don’t believe you, they request an ID. A lot of CID roam around in these cafes, which is why I think they are extra careful.”

Cigarettes and shisha are only some of the tobacco products that are popular with adolescents. “Only a select few teens smoke cigarettes,” ER said. “Many others smoke DK.” DK is short for dokha, which means “dizziness” in Arabic. Dokha is a sifted preparation of Iranian tobacco mixed with aromatic leaf and bark herbs. The dokha is usually placed into a medwakh, a small wooden pipe, from which the mix is smoked for a buzz. ER and his friend named a hotspot where teenagers often purchased their dose of DK.

Describing the relationship between the teenagers and the shopkeepers at this particular spot, ER’s companion said it was amiable. “They’re always happy to see each other, and whenever they buy the stuff the sellers would reward them with a small bottle of cherry juice,” the friend said. The National asked ER and his companion to put it to the test. After disappearing into the store for a few minutes, he and his friend returned with a medwakh starter pack in one hand, and cherry juice in the other.

Dr Salim Adib, the public health department manager at Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), explained that controlling the sales of medwakh products has proved difficult. “The issue of medwakh is much more complicated since the tobacco used is not imported in pre-formed packages, like cigarettes and shisha, and therefore less easily regulated,” he said. “Our Haad tobacco task force is focusing on a special plan of action regarding this very culturally specific aspect of tobacco use in this country.”

Dr Adib said the action plan for the regulation of medwakh involved developing a research agenda to analyse the chemical content of medwakh products so that they could be compared with cigarettes. That has already been done for shisha by a research group at the American University of Beirut, he said.

In addition, a campaign to educate the public about the adverse health effects associated with medwakh is also planned, as well as an exploration of the possibility of regulating the sale of “free package” tobacco and the medwakh pipes.

This plan of action was to be developed next year in parallel to the full implementation of federal Law 15, Dr Adib added. A new federal bylaw aims to address the ease with which adolescents can get their hands on tobacco products.

According to Ms al Maidoor, the new federal bylaw would reinforce existing legislation with further regulations that restrict the sale of tobacco in smaller stores. Shops would be more closely monitored and penalties more rigorously enforced.
Rules are also being proposed by the Ministry of Health to prevent the sale of cigarettes in school districts. “A radius of 150 to 200 metres from schools has been proposed,” Ms al Maidoor said. In some areas this rule has already been implemented. In Abu Dhabi, an emirate-wide ban on indoor smoking is also in progress as part of the new federal bylaw. The bylaw is currently pending official approval and would most likely be implemented by the end of 2011, Ms al Maidoor said.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) stations have a ban on cigarettes and smoking. Adnoc stations have refrained from selling cigarettes. Anyone smoking at Adnoc stations or their affiliates will be asked to stop. Should a person choose not to do so, then he or she will not receive Adnoc services.

Reference: Teenage smokers on rise as tobacco law is flouted, Manal Ismail (mismail@thenational.ae), theNational.ae, 12/19/2010.

UAE related news briefs:
UAE - tobacco control measures being introduced on the way to becoming a smoke-free nation..;
United Arab Emirates (UAE) - protect your next generation - your children..;
UAE - smokers face tighter restrictions coming September 2010..;
UAE - cigarette manufactures complain cost of printing pictorial warnings too high..;
UAE - ban on the sale of single cigarettes will be implemented..;
UAE - national ban on smoking in public places delayed..;
UAE - with new law e-cigarettes may face ban..;
UAE - preventing the sale of tobacco products to youth..;
UAE to increase the price of cigarettes, graphic images on packs and more..;
UAE - conference presentation, risk of shisha use severe..;
UAE - enforcement of the new tobacco control law not clear yet..;
UAE - Khalifa issues federal anti-tobacco law..;
UAE - doctors say national smoking ban needed for the sake of young people..;
United Arab Emirates - Despite Ban, Shisha Habit Spreading in Public..;
Sharjah Emirate, UAE - earn monetary rewards for quiting smoking..;
Dubai, UAE customs blocks e-cigarette shipment..;
UAE - graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
UAE new tobacco ban proposed..;
UAE - Quadruple Cigarette Price - Prevent Kids from Smoking...
(United Arab Emirates)
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