chewing tobacco – Page 5 – Oral Cancer News

On the Call: Altria Group CEO Michael Szymanczyk

Source: Business Week Richmond, VA Like other tobacco companies, Altria Group Inc. is focusing on cigarette alternatives such as cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco for sales growth as tax increases, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma make the cigarette business tougher. The smokeless tobacco category is growing at about 7 percent a year, but still remains small compared with cigarettes. The parent company of the nation's biggest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, said Wednesday that volumes for its smokeless tobacco segment, which includes Copenhagen and Skoal, as well as Marlboro Snus, grew 16.4 percent in the third quarter and revenues excluding excise taxes increased about 11 percent to $363 million. In a conference call with analysts regarding Altria's third-quarter earnings, CEO Michael E. Szymanczyk talked about the company working with retailers to better align their shelf space with changes in the tobacco industry. QUESTION: Is the investment to help retailers reallocate their space and improve their display units for smokeless products meaningful to call out? RESPONSE: This is a category that has grown pretty substantially here over the last few years, but in retail stores, there hasn't been any significant movement in the space. At the same time, the cigarette category has declined in volume. And while inventories have come down in the cigarette business, the actual physical space devoted to cigarettes hasn't meaningfully changed. There's a good opportunity to play catch-up here. ... We're helping retailers redistribute their space so it's more consistent with their sales, and that [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-10-21T12:27:20-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Dead man will be remembered for spreading oral cancer

Source: The Gawker/ WSJ Author: Steven Miller Louis Bantle, the former marketing director and chairman of U.S. Tobacco, died earlier this month at the age of 81 from emphysema and lung cancer. Bantle was most famous for convincing millions of teenagers to dip. The WSJ chroniclesBantle's work from the 1960s through the 1990s, during which time he helped turn snuff into a billion-dollar business and tripled its use among 18-24 year-olds. "We must sell the use of tobacco in the mouth and appeal to young people," he said, according to the minutes of a marketing meeting in 1968. "We hope to start a fad." "If you go to high school in Texas and you don't have a can of snuff in your pocket, you're out," Mr. Bantle told Forbes in 1980. Your legacy will live on, Mr. Bantle. Original Article from the WSJ: Louis Bantle made dipping snuff into a national pastime. Mr. Bantle, who died Oct. 10 at age 81 after a long struggle with lung cancer and emphysema, was chairman of United States Tobacco Co. for two decades beginning in 1973, a period that saw an explosion in snuff's popularity, particularly among younger users. In the 1970s, sales of the company's Skoal and Copenhagen tobaccos were relatively small and concentrated in the upper Midwest, where Scandinavian woodcutters had spread the smokeless habit in the 19th century. Mr. Bantle ramped up advertising featuring football and rodeo star Walt Garrison and other rugged athletes. He introduced a series of "starter" [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-10-20T08:39:52-07:00October, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Disadvantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking

Source: www.helium.com Author: Dawn Hawkins If you are a smoker who is trying to quit smoking, there are several ways in which you might attempt to attain the goal. Chewing tobacco might seem like one of the best answers to your problem. The goal is to stop the smoke from going into your lungs, right? That is partially true. There are many advantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking, but there are great disadvantages to it also. Disadvantages of using chewing tobacco to quit smoking: Teeth- Your teeth become discolored much faster when you chew tobacco in order to try to quit smoking. Your teeth will suffer discoloring when you smoke cigarettes, but chewing tobacco comes into direct contact with the tooth's surface making them more susceptible to staining. Spitting- When you chew tobacco, you also have to spit it somewhere. This can be a problem if someone takes away the container that you are spitting in. It is also not a very attractive thing to do. You have to carry something around with you at all times that contains your already chewed tobacco and your spit. That is another thing that is definitely not attractive. Accidents- When you have a bottle that you are using to spit the tobacco into, there is a good chance your or someone else will accidentally drink the mixture thinking it is something else. chewing tobacco has a very foul taste when combined with spit. It is also very unhealthy to swallow. That [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-07-05T17:34:30-07:00July, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Asian communities warned of tobacco risks

Source: www.rochdaleonline.co.uk Author: staff Local health experts are warning the Asian community that an after-dinner treat offered to family and friends could have deadly consequences. Chewing tobacco is a hidden killer say experts, because people do not know it can cause cancer. Dr Amjad Hussain from the NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Oral Health Promotion Department said: “Chewing tobacco has many disguises, such as paan masala, gutkha and bidis, and is often offered to guests at family events and on social occasions. “Its bright, professional packaging hides its deadly potential. People may not even realise it’s tobacco, it’s addictive and, like cigarette tobacco, contains many cancer-causing carcinogens. As it is chewed, people keep it in the mouth for a long time increasing the risk of mouth cancer. “Mouth cancer is also one of the more difficult cancers to treat effectively. So people need to know the risks and be visiting their dentists regularly so any signs can be spotted early.” To highlight the risks, and reduce the harm chewing tobacco can do, council and NHS health experts recently joined forces to host an event at Rochdale’s Bangladesh Association Community Project. At the event, Centre Manager Mr Habibul Ahad said: “I have chewed paan masala for a good many years. After dinner, I’ll often sit on the settee with a jar of paan masala beside me. It’s something I do while I relax and talk - a social pastime. “I was shocked at how harmful chewing tobacco can be. My mother-in-law [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-06-21T19:40:08-07:00June, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Smoking women at greater risk

Source: www.deccanherald.com Author: Poornima Nataraj Surrendering to temptation of having a puff of nicotine to release tension, not only gives momentary pleasure but inflicts a long lasting damage on your biological system. There has been no decrease in the number of deaths due to tobacco use, despite large-scale efforts to educate masses on the health hazards of tobacco consumption. And, what's more concerning is the fact that not only men but a considerable percentage of women are also succumbing to the addiction at the risk of serious health complications. The World Health Organisation’s theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day focusses on "gender and tobacco, with emphasis on marketing to women." It highlights the harmful effects of tobacco marketing and smoke on women and girls. Dr Prathima Murthy, Professor of Psychiatry and Head of De-addiction Centre at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS), informs that any form of tobacco use harms every organ of one's body. "Chewing tobacco has a certain cultural acceptance in our country, leading to a high prevalence of oral cancer. However, smoking has much wider ill-effects, especially for women who are more prone as their biological system is more vulnerable to such toxic substances," she says. Dr Murthy says women tend to take up smoking to relieve stress. There is also a rage to stay slim through smoking with the low nicotine content cigarettes. Irrespective of the percentage of nicotine content, there are other harmful substances which do not reduce the severity [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-05-31T06:16:53-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Garagiola, who quit, warns about chewing tobacco

Source: nytimes.com Author: George Vescey Joe Garagiola has been to too many funerals. Some of them were for friends who chewed tobacco, the way Garagiola used to do. Now Garagiola has been given the gift of time. He intends to use it to speak out against the habit of chewing tobacco. “I tell these guys, ‘You may not like what I say, but with lung cancer you die of lung cancer,’ ” Garagiola said the other day, with the zeal of a convert. “With oral cancer, you die one piece at a time. They operate on your neck, they operate on your jaw, they operate on your throat.” Garagiola is one of America’s gifted talkers — starting in bullpens and dugouts, moving on to broadcasting games, then doing game shows, the “Today” show. He is still talking. Last month he traveled to a Congressional hearing to speak against smokeless tobacco. The trip itself was a gesture of courage, because he was recovering from brain surgery for what he calls a nonmalignant ailment, which he said was not linked to the tobacco habit he beat 50 years ago. Last Friday, Garagiola received great news. After a CAT scan six months after surgery, doctors told him he was clear. He took a deep breath and celebrated by doing what he does best. Speaking about the lobbyists for new smokeless products, he said: “They tell you it’s a safe alternative, but my answer is, Hey, don’t jump out the 50th floor, jump out [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-05-29T11:07:43-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Swedish Match snuff separates from snus pack

Source: Tobacco News Author: Staff Swedish Match North America, maker of moist snuff, cigars and chewing tobacco, is taking a different approach to marketing its Swedish-style snus tobacco product when compared to two other U.S. tobacco companies offering the product, according to a report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Swedish Match marketers began a sampling effort in Vail, Colo., and now are handing out silvery sample packs of General Snus on Wall Street — a sign that the product will be positioned as a high-end item, the report stated.”We are emphasizing the Swedish cachet,” Richard Flaherty, president of Swedish Match North America, told the paper when asked about the sampling push. In addition, Swedish Match’s General brand is more expensive than either the Marlboro brand by Altria Group’s Philip Morris unit, or Reynolds American’s Camel brand. The premium positioning is not the only difference in its marketing strategy.”We’re not marketing snus as something for when you can’t smoke. We’re marketing it as an alternative to cigarettes,” Flaherty said in the report. The company is looking for smokers who don’t want to smoke at all, rather than using the product as a fill-in to cigarettes, the report stated. For this reason, the company identified a key target group in parents who worry about secondhand smoke at home, Flaherty said. In addition, the focus on niche consumer groups rather than the general tobacco market is a reason why General isn’t appearing in convenience stores. Instead of fighting for shelf space with two of the toughest competitors in [...]

Charlotte Parker2010-05-27T07:48:07-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Smokeless tobacco can take you out of the game

Source: www.healthcanal.com Author: staff Another baseball season is under way and fans are heading to the ballpark to watch their favorite players hit home runs, steal bases, and argue over what's fair and foul. Marshall Posner, MD, says that the first step in reducing oral cancer risk is to avoid tobacco use altogether. Unfortunately, they will also see something else that many consider to be "foul" — players chewing tobacco. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) are partnering to spread the word that chewing tobacco, otherwise known as spit, dip, chew, or smokeless tobacco, is not a safe alternative to smoking. In fact, it's very addictive and a serious health risk. According to a Massachusetts survey released earlier this spring, teens may be turning away from cigarettes to other forms of tobacco, including smokeless tobacco. The report was funded by the United States Centers for Disease Control and conducted by state education and health departments. The survey asked middle- and high-school students about their tobacco habits and found that for the first time, students are using smokeless tobacco and cigars more than cigarettes. Of those high-schoolers who were surveyed, 16 percent admitted to smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days, while 17.6 percent admitted to using other tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco. "Chewing tobacco is the most dangerous form of tobacco because it comes in contact directly with the oral mucosa," states David P. Lustbader, DMD, an MDS Trustee and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-05-14T14:39:59-07:00May, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Oral Cancer Foundation donates screening devices to West Virginia Free Clinics

Source: www.prnewswire.com Author: press release In 2009 the Oral Cancer Foundation initiated a program of donating VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening Systems to free clinics. The most recent recipients of this program are two West Virginia clinics: WV Health Right in Charleston, and the Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic in West Milford. "Our intent is to identify free clinics in areas that have a high concentration of people who are both at risk for oral cancer and without the financial means to pay for comprehensive oral exams," said Oral Cancer Foundation founder and executive director Brian Hill. "It is difficult to think of an area that better fits those criteria than West Virginia." The state ranks highest in the country in tobacco usage, and next-to-last in per capita income. In identifying free clinics to be potential recipients of the device which identifies loss of tissue auto-fluorescence, an indicator of abnormal tissues, the Oral Cancer Foundation is careful to ensure that each candidate clinic has at least one dentist on staff who can be trained to use the device and can train other staff members. Oral cancer belongs to the head and neck cancer group, and is often referred to by other names such as; tongue cancer, mouth cancer, tonsil cancer, lip cancer, and throat cancer. While some people think this is a rare cancer, it is not. Approximately 100 people in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer each day, and it takes a life in the U.S. every [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-02-23T12:46:22-07:00February, 2010|OCF In The News, Oral Cancer News|

Worldwide study shows MI risk increases with all forms of tobacco use

Source: HeartWire Author: Steve Stiles London, UK - Tobacco use significantly ups the risk of nonfatal MI independently of its varied methods around the world and whether exposure is direct or through second-hand smoke, according to INTERHEART, a large, broadly international case-control study [1]. The findings sharpen and add a global perspective to the massive epidemiologic evidence implicating smoking and other tobacco uses as causes of heart disease. The analysis, which appears in the August 19, 2006 issue of the Lancet, suggests that current cigarette smoking confers nearly triple the adjusted MI risk faced by persons who have never smoked and that the hazards can't be escaped by resorting to other forms of tobacco use. The study looked at the effects of not only smokeless tobacco but also less common modes of smoking, including some that are primarily limited to specific geographic regions such as South and Central Asia. "Our findings show that tobacco in any form is harmful," write the authors, Dr Koon K Teo (McMaster University-Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON) and associates. Other noteworthy observations include a significant dose-response relationship between the number of cigarettes consumed daily and the likelihood of MI, even at only a few cigarettes per day. Commenting on the study for heartwire, Dr Ira S Ockene (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester) said that it replicates much earlier work but "adds so much more," including a global perspective not only geographically but in terms of spanning virtually all forms of tobacco exposure. Its data on the risks of chewing [...]

Charlotte Parker2009-08-20T14:47:56-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|