University and Cancer Center Program urges smokers switch to snus, smokeless tobacco

[kai kane]

Program urges smokers switch to smokeless tobacco

ecigs get a short mention ...looks like some folks are starting to figure it out!

 

[rothenbj]

The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health says on its website that the use of all tobacco products "should be strongly discouraged," and that there is "no scientific evidence that using smokeless tobacco can help a person quit smoking." But this year it approved funding for a study that might provide some of that very evidence.

That statement, in and of itself, is very big. A federally funded study is just what we need to get over this quit or die mentality. My only concern is to overcome the decades of disinformation about smokeless products and the immediate negative thought about "spit tobacco". I know how strong that negativity is because I was one of those people with that attitude.

I spent nearly a month on the net after being directed to Swedish snus and educated myself. When I finally overcame my negativity and acquired a supply, my smoking days were over. Snus and other such products aren't for everyone, but it is certainly a viable alternative for some, perhaps many. The continual improvement in E cigs give those that don't want smokeless tobacco quite a few alternatives also. Then, if promoted based on the relative risks of the various products, those that are looking for ways to quit smoking may try the various products and find, like I did, that they're happier with the alternatives than they were smoking.

 

[MrsAngelD]

Good thing I searched I was just about to post this article from nky.com

Cancer center promotes smokeless tobacco | NKY.com | cincinnati.com

 

[Crumpet]

I saw a story on Fox news about KY's Switch and Quit campaign. The more this makes mainstream news the better!

 

[Tom09]

Balanced article by AP author Michael Felberbaum covering the "Switch and Quit" campaign.

Should be noted that this campaign is not restricted to smoke-free tobacco tobacco products, actually includes e-cigarettes.
(For links to the campaign site and a related blog see also this older ECF thread ).

 

[cyberwolf]

Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the program "a giant experiment with the people of Owensboro without rules or guidance designed to protect individuals from experimental medicine."

And what about the "just tell them not to smoke" experiment. 3 million cigarettes consumed per week, but they're willing to just keep trying the same thing?

 

[rothenbj]

Commented to the NKY article'

I'm an ex-smoker thanks to Swedish snus. The misinformation in this comments section is astounding. According to the propaganda, 446k people die each year of smoking related diseases. Smoking related disease statistics are based on diseases that smokers get and whether you have been designated a smoker in the statistics. A smoker is defined in the statistics as someone who has smoked more than 99 cigarettes in their lifetime in the CDC'S SAMMEC computer system that generates these statistics.

Now, depending on who you listen to 46m smoke in the US with about that many considered ex-smokers. That would put 92m people as candidates for smoking related deaths. The CDC has published estimates that smokers have a 50% chance of dying from smoking, with former smokers having a 10% to 37% chance. [MMWR 45(44): 971-974, Projected Smoking-Related Deaths Among Youth -- United States, November 8, 1996.]. Following their logic, 23m current smokers will die of smoking related deaths with about 12m ex-smokers (around 25%) would suffer the same fate for a total of 35m current and ex-smoker deaths out of a 92m base population.

We also know that the vast majority of these deaths occur after the age of 35 and by the wide range of estimates on how many years lost off life expectancy, around 10 years appears to be the most common estimate. Life expectancy is a little under 80 so the average life expectancy for a smoker should be under 70. However, the combination of statistics doesn't add up. For the 35m smokers and ex-smokers to die after 35 due to smoking, at a rate of 440,000 per year, it would take around 79.5 years. The annual death rate would actually have to be more like a million a year which we know isn't true or they'd use it.

I'm not trying to sell smoking as a safe lifestyle choice, only that statistics have been manipulated to sell products, good Pharma grade anti-smoking products.

Now on to the comments about smokeless tobacco, there is a serious lack of understanding represented here. First, there are many smokeless tobacco products that ARE NOT "SPIT" tobacco. There is Swedish snus, SNUS, nasal snuff, Ariva, Stonewalls and newer developing products like Orbs, strips and sticks as well as electronic cigarettes that don't require spitting. These products are by an extremely conservative estimate at least 90% safer than smoking and realistically more like 98-99% safer.

Anyone that would look at the program being promoted in this article as undesirable either doesn't understand the potential of these products to get smokers to quit smoking and eliminate whatever minor health risk second hand smoke delivers or is in the business of protecting the Pharma industries franchise. The latter group would include the ?non-profit?"health" organizations who have found marketing NRT products for Big Pharma very lucrative.

As a matter of full disclosure, I smoked 43 years, 2-3 packs per day at the end. Tried quitting nearly 2 dozen times with the APPROVED quitting methods. A combination of E Cigs and later Swedish snus have made me an ex-smoker for nearly 2 years. I have no financial conflicts in either the tobacco or e cig industry but do hold a sizable investment in the pharma industry with some companies selling NRT products.