RJ Reynolds Takes on the NYC Outdoor Smoking Ban

[Vocalek]

Let's hear it for tobacco Harm Reduction!

CASAA.org=

Thanks to our friend Larry Waters at SnusCentral for this entertaining article. Be sure to click the link to read the entire article on his site.

The ad images are courtesy of Bill Godshall and the corrected warning label is my handiwork.

 

[Nicko]

That's very encouraging. Such a pity they have to include those ridiculous warnings.

 

[JustJulie]

What's frustrating for me is that even though tobacco companies are beginning to seriously embrace harm reduction, the antis continue along with their propaganda. For example:

Leave it to a tobacco company to try to maintain a deadly grip on its customer base.

Reynolds American Inc. recently launched an advertising campaign for Camel Snus, a smokeless brand of chewing tobacco. The premise behind the campaign apparently is an effort to skirt antismoking laws that are becoming more prevalent in the country, and especially in New York City.

<snip>

Hopefully, more people will consider dropping the habit altogether, rather than simply switching to an equally risky form of tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco isn’t the answer.

OUR VIEW: Smokeless tobacco is not a viable way to skirt smoking laws | The Daily Republic | Mitchell, South Dakota

 

[classwife]

Two steps forward and one step back !! LOL !

So...does this imply that the user stops oral hygiene practices ???

 

[Vocalek]

What's frustrating for me is that even though tobacco companies are beginning to seriously embrace harm reduction, the antis continue along with their propaganda. For example:


OUR VIEW: Smokeless tobacco is not a viable way to skirt smoking laws | The Daily Republic | Mitchell, South Dakota

Dr. Gilbert Ross of ACSH has left a comment. I submitted a comment but it is still awaiting moderation:

If the truth be known, smoking carries much higher risks of throat and mouth cancers than using any smoke-free alternative source of nicotine. Snus is not chewed. It comes in tiny sachets. A sachet is placed discretely between the upper lip and the gum where the nicotine is absorbed without creating excess saliva. No spitting required. A used sachet is simply discared in the trash. No more mess than a used teabag. Over 30 years of research in Sweden on smokers who switched to snus has shown that the risks for lung diseases are eliminated, and the risks of cardiovascular disease and all types of cancers are reduced to the same level as smokers who quit all forms of tobacco. The life expectency of snus users also matches that of former tobacco users. The tobaccoharmreduction.org and CASAA.org web sites contain more information on how smokers can save their lifes and regain their health by switching to smoke-free alternatives.

areavoices | Blog | OUR VIEW: Smokeless tobacco is not a viable way to skirt smoking laws

 

[sqirl1]

theres actually plenty of scientific evidence that states that CAMEL snus causes gum disease and tooth loss; it's about 80% sugar!

but seriously, it's good that american tobacco companies are more promoting using things like snus over smoking, but it would be nice if they didn't make ones that tasted like saw dust and deliberatly use a low amount of nicotine so that people will smoke AND use the snus.

 

[Vocalek]

Be careful what you call scientific "evidence". Researchers in Canada published a study where they conducted toxocology testing on the ingredients in smokeless tobacco. In their article they made the statement that smokeless tobacco causes tooth decay, cancer, etc. However, this is not somehing they studied. All you can tell by toxocology tests is what substances are in a product, not the effect those substances will have on human health. Even if the effect is known for a particular substance through other studies that actually looked at human beings, that does not necessasrily tell you want effect this quantity and this particular combination of ingredients has on human health.

Here is a meta-analysis of research on snus. Summary of the epidemiological evidence relating s... [Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2011] - PubMed result

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2011 Mar;59(2):197-214. Epub 2010 Dec 14.

Summary of the epidemiological evidence relating snus to health.

Lee PN.


Source

PN Lee Statistics and Computing Ltd., Sutton, Surrey, UK. PeterLee@pnlee.co.uk


Abstract

Interest in snus (Swedish-type moist snuff) as a smoking alternative has increased. This wide-ranging review summarizes evidence relating snus to health and to initiation and cessation of smoking. Meta-analyses are included. After smoking adjustment, snus is unassociated with cancer of the oropharynx (meta-analysis RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.68-1.37), oesophagus (1.10, 0.92-1.33), stomach (0.98, 0.82-1.17), pancreas (1.20, 0.66-2.20), lung (0.71, 0.66-0.76) or other sites, or with heart disease (1.01, 0.91-1.12) or stroke (1.05, 0.95-1.15). No clear associations are evident in never smokers, any possible risk from snus being much less than from smoking. "Snuff-dipper's lesion" does not predict oral cancer. Snus users have increased weight, but diabetes and chronic hypertension seem unaffected. Notwithstanding unconfirmed reports of associations with reduced birthweight, and some other conditions, the evidence provides scant support for any major adverse health effect of snus. Although some claims that snus reduces initiation or encourages quitting are unsoundly based, snus seems not to increase initiation, as indicated by few smokers using snus before starting and current snus use being unassociated with smoking in adults (the association in children probably being due to uncontrolled confounding), and there are no reports that snus discourages quitting.

Brad Rodu (himself a dentist) reviewed one study that appeared to show that snus causes periodontal disease. Low SES (socio-economic status) is independently linked to periodontal (gum) disease. The author of the study Rodu was criticizing did not control for SES. Eliminating low-income subjects might produce a very different result.

SMOKELESS TOBACCO AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE

I have been unable to track down any research that shows Camel snus causes gum disease and tooth loss. If you have a link to a study, please post it.

CAUTION: Stated opinions, even by doctors, even on respected web sites, without disease data on humans does not constitute "research."

 

[sqirl1]

I was making a joke about camel's snus in particular. snus doesn't cause tooth decay, but sugar sure does, and theres probably as much sugar in camel and Marlboro snus as there is tobacco, if not more. beat the ban with some General Snus, not camel snus!