smokeless tobacco

Swedish Match Announces Market Expansion for General Snus

Swedish Match today announced it has expanded into 7 additional US markets with its General brand Swedish snus. General is the number #1 selling snus in the world and the flagship brand for Swedish Match. Now General will be available in convenience stores and tobacco outlets in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, Nashville and throughout the state of Ohio with its two new flavors in the product assortment, Nordic Mint and Classic Blend. Those flavors were launched in Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia in mid-2011. "These particular markets were chosen because they meet a number of important criteria to maximize the success of the General brand - from local smoking restrictions to the number of adult tobacco consumers and the potential opportunity for the snus category as a whole," according to Clark Darrah, Vice President Next Generation Products. General is authentic Swedish snus crafted from a sophisticated blend of premium tobaccos using a unique GothiaTek® production process ensuring the highest measure of quality. Snus is sold in pouches that are placed inconspicuously under the user's upper lip, and is a form of smokefree and spit free tobacco that is popular among white-collar professionals throughout Scandinavia, where it first originated in the early 19th century. While the category is still young in the United States, snus has enjoyed tremendous growth of over 225% since its first introduction domestically in 2006 and is now about 6% of the smokeless tobacco category. Darrah adds, "Adult tobacco consumers are [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-06T09:44:02-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Strong Oral Carcinogen Identified in Smokeless Tobacco

Source: ScienceDaily.com Although smokeless tobacco products have long been linked with certain cancers, including oral cavity cancers and esophageal cancers, this is the first study to identify a specific chemical present in smokeless tobacco products that induces oral cancer in animals, according to Silvia Balbo, Ph.D., research associate at the Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn. "(S)-NNN is the only chemical in smokeless tobacco known to cause oral cancer," Balbo said. "This finding provides mechanistic underpinning for the epidemiologic observations that smokeless tobacco products cause oral cancer." Balbo and colleagues administered two forms of NNN called (S)-NNN and (R)-NNN to four groups of 24 rats. The rats were given either (S)-NNN alone, (R)-NNN alone, a combination of both or tap water. The total dose was approximately equivalent to the amount of (S)-NNN to which a smokeless tobacco user would be exposed from chronic use of these products. All rats assigned to (S)-NNN alone or the combination began losing weight after one year of exposure and died by 17 months. Rats assigned to (R)-NNN or tap water were terminated at 20 months. All rats assigned to (S)-NNN had esophageal tumors and demonstrated 100 percent incidence of oral tumors including tumors of the tongue, buccal mucosa, soft palate and pharynx. In contrast, researchers found oral tumors in only five of 24 rats given (R)-NNN and esophageal tumors in three of 24 rats assigned to (R)-NNN. Twelve rats given the combination of (S)-NNN and (R)-NNN had 153 esophageal [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-02T16:22:05-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Tobacco Makers Must List Ingredients, Prove Safety Claims

Source: Businessweek.com Tobacco companies will have to begin reporting the amount of unsafe chemicals in their products and prove their so-called lower-risk alternatives to smoking such as snuff are actually safer, U.S. regulators said. The Food and Drug Administration moved today to implement pieces of a 2009 law giving the agency the authority to regulate tobacco products. The FDA released preliminary guidelines for the industry that it says can educate consumers on exactly what is in cigarettes, such as ammonia and formaldehyde, and police claims that certain tobacco products may be safer than others. The agency will share information on chemical amounts with the public within a year, Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a telephone call with reporters. On the issue of less-risky tobacco items, the draft guidelines set up two categories: one with a higher evidence standard that lets companies claim less harm than cigarettes; and another with a lower standard that permits companies to market products as reducing exposure to unsafe ingredients. “We are forging new territory to ensure that tobacco companies provide accurate information and do not mislead American consumers,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement. “We are committed to stopping such practices that may cause people to start or continue using tobacco products that could lead to preventable disease and death.” 93 Chemicals The FDA released a list of 93 chemicals that tobacco makers would have to report the quantity of in their products. The FDA is studying [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-04-02T09:56:47-07:00April, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Dentists key to quitting ‘smokeless tobacco’

Source: http://www.dentistry.co.uk/ The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is recommending a key role for dental professionals in their public health intervention proposals to help stop the use of smokeless tobacco by people of South Asian Origin. Dentists, dental nurses and dental hygienists may be asked to play a leading role as part of new proposals to stop the use of smokeless tobacco in the UK. NICE has published a consultation on their proposals, which recommends a key intervention and education role for dental professionals. It is also recommending more training for dental professionals to help them gain a greater understanding of smokeless tobacco including terminology, symptoms and approaches to successful intervention. Smokeless tobacco is associated with a number of health problems including nicotine addiction, mouth and oral cancer, periodontal disease, heart attacks and strokes, problems in pregnancy and following childbirth and late diagnosis of dental problems as smokeless tobacco products can often mask pain. Smokeless tobacco is mainly used by 'people of South Asian origin', which includes people with ancestral links to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. The draft guidance recommends that dental professionals take specific actions including: • Asking patients about their smokeless tobacco use and record the outcome in their patient notes • Making users aware of the potential health risks and advise them to stop, using a brief intervention • Referring users who want to quit the habit to tobacco cessation services that use counsellors trained in behavioural support • Recording the [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-03-07T15:45:16-07:00March, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

More troops on smokeless tobacco after deployment

Source: Reuters.com The findings, reported in the journal Addiction, follow other studies that have tied deployment and combat to health risks, including higher rates of smoking and drinking. "This adds to the list of things we're learning are associated with combat," said lead researcher Dr. Eric D.A. Hermes, of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. It's not fully clear why some troops take up smokeless tobacco after deployment. But Hermes suspects stress is involved. That's because deployment with combat exposure was linked to a higher risk than deployment alone. And troops with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also had an increased risk. The findings come from the Millennium Cohort Study, an ongoing government project looking at the health effects of military service. Of more than 45,000 personnel followed from 2001 to 2006, 2 percent started using smokeless tobacco during that time. Another 9 percent had already developed the habit, and kept it up. Overall, troops who were deployed but did not see combat were almost one-third more likely to take up a smokeless tobacco habit than their non-deployed counterparts. Those odds were two-thirds to three-quarters higher for troops who were in combat or who deployed multiple times. According to Hermes, those different levels of deployment can be seen as stand-ins for different levels of stress. So it's possible that stress plays a role, he said. Another finding gives weight to that idea. "We also saw a relationship with PTSD symptoms," Hermes said. Just under 4 [...]

Charlotte Parker2012-02-27T10:28:20-07:00February, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Baseball Great Blames Smokeless Tobacco for Cancer

Source: Dr.Bicuspid.com February 14, 2012 -- Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn underwent surgery today in San Diego to remove a cancerous lesion in his mouth, according to an article on ESPN.com. This is the second time in two years that Gwynn has developed a malignant growth in his right cheek. He blames smokeless tobacco for the cancer; he dipped during his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres and for 10 years after that as well. Since the 2010 operation, however, Gwynn has not used smokeless tobacco, instead opting for a doctor-approved synthetic dip that he said "tasted awful." But last month, the cancer returned, according to ESPN. Doctors do not believe the cancer has spread outside of Gwynn's salivary gland, Gwynn's wife told ESPN. During the operation, doctors will conduct further biopsies of Gywnn's parotid gland, she said. Gwynn is currently the baseball coach at San Diego State. This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Charlotte Parker2012-02-15T17:22:02-07:00February, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Test Markets Reveal Women Choose Dissolvable Tobacco

Source: Convenience Store News WINSTOM-SALEM, N.C. -- Since starting a second round of testing, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s dissolvable tobacco products are proving popular among women. The product line -- Camel Sticks, Camel Strips and Camel Orbs --do not require spitting, which could be a deciding factor among female tobacco users. According to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal, females represented 45 percent of all adult smokers who bought Camel Sticks, Camel Strips and Camel Orbs during September and October. Of all adult tobacco users, 31 percent were women. By comparison, the news outlet reported that adult males make up 85 percent of moist snuff and Camel Snus users. R.J. Reynolds' dissolvable line is currently being sold in Denver and Charlotte, N.C. The first round of testing took place in Columbus, Ohio Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. "We have seen a noticeable appeal and interest of the dissolvable products with adult female tobacco consumers," Reynolds spokesman David Howard told the newspaper. Stephen Pope, an industry analyst and managing partner of Spotlight Ideas in England, said Reynolds may have discovered a niche with adult female tobacco users. "Clearly the figures for the dissolvable products make for fascinating reading and actually show that here could be a product that, if handled correctly, could well offer an opportunity for a special female-targeted product that could be as significant as Virginia Slims was for Philip Morris," he said. The dissolvable products "could prove to be the first viable smokeless tobacco products for females," stated Bonnie [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-11-22T10:33:04-07:00November, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Senate takes aim at tobacco in baseball

Source: chicagoist.com Author: Angie Wiatrowsk As the Rangers and Cardinals play in the World Series, the U.S. Senate is pushing for something else. As if they have nothing better to do. Four United States Senators, including Dick Durbin of Illinois, and health officials from St. Louis and Arlington, TX. made pleas in separate letters in hopes of banning chewing tobacco at baseball games and on camera. They want to stress not only the harmful effects on the players, but the image they're sending to children who watch them. St. Louis public health authority Pamela Walker said in her letter, "Younger people believe smokeless tobacco is a safer alternative to cigarettes, and when they see people they idolize do it that reinforces that belief. Not only that, it makes dipping look cool." Baseball players dipping is no news, it's been affecting kids for years whether we tend to ignore it or not. Shoot, the term "bullpen" came to existence when Blackwell Tobacco Company released Bull Durham brand tobacco in 1860. After all, who as a kid growing up playing ball didn't have their share of Big League Chew? That's right, before you hit the field, pull out that stringy wad of "groundball grape" and stick it in your cheek like the guys on TV. It was an alternative to chewing tobacco that was very well marketed to kids. It was created by Portland Mavericks' pitcher Rob Nelson and New York Yankees' Jim Bouton. The two were sitting in the bullpen and [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-10-23T09:13:24-07:00October, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Cigarette Marketing Declined, but Smokeless Tobacco Marketing Doubled in Recent Years

Source: PR Newswire WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: The Federal Trade Commission on Friday reported that cigarette marketing expenditures in the United States declined from $12.5 billion in 2006 to $10.9 billion in 2007 and $9.9 billion in 2008. The FTC also reported that smokeless tobacco marketing increased from $354.1 million in 2006 to $411.3 million in 2007 and $547.9 million in 2008. When measured from 2005, smokeless tobacco marketing has more than doubled (from $250.8 million to $547.9 million). While it is a positive step that cigarette marketing has declined, the tobacco companies continue to spend huge sums to market their deadly and addictive products. Counting both cigarette and smokeless tobacco marketing, the tobacco companies spent $10.5 billion on marketing in 2008 – nearly $29 million each day and 52 percent more than they spent at the time of the 1998 settlement of state lawsuits against the industry, which was supposed to curtail tobacco marketing. Tobacco companies in 2008 spent 20 times more to market tobacco products than the states currently spend on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit (the states spent $517.9 million on such programs in fiscal year 2011). This huge mismatch between how much tobacco companies spend to encourage tobacco use and how much states spend to discourage it is a major contributing factor to the slowing of smoking declines in recent years. It is especially troubling [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-08-02T09:44:39-07:00August, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Are lozenges and other smokeless products safer alternatives to smoking?

Source: Pennsylvania's Fox News Tobacco company rep David Howard waxes enthusiastic when he talks about a new product his employer, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., has developed: a pellet of finely cured tobacco, binders and flavoring that dissolves in the mouth in 10 minutes. Under test market in two U.S. cities — Denver and Charlotte, N.C. — Camel Orbs will join two dissolvable tobacco lozenges already on the market if it graduates to broader distribution. And Howard is optimistic it will. "These products provide smokers with an option to enjoy the pleasure of nicotine without bothering others," Howard said. "No secondhand smoke. No spitting. No cigarette butt." Dissolvable tobacco consists of small pieces of compressed, finely ground tobacco powder, binders and flavorings that are shaped into pellets, sticks or strips. When placed in the mouth, they dissolve within minutes, providing a nicotine hit. The tobacco industry says that the products contain far fewer cancer-causing chemicals such as tobacco-specific nitrosamines and are a "harm reduction" strategy that, like electronic cigarettes, might help people turn to less risky tobacco habits or eventually quit smoking. But public health officials and anti-smoking advocates fear that the products will help initiate a new generation of smokers. The flavoring and packaging appeal to children, they argue, and teenagers will gravitate toward a product they can easily hide. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration will take up the issue with an advisory committee hearing on the effect of dissolvable tobacco products on public health. "Tobacco companies are [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-07-22T10:44:37-07:00July, 2011|Oral Cancer News|