Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager, Tobacco:

Smokeless tobacco products are taking on a new look. No longer is the mug of Tommy Lasorda, former manager of the Dodgers, with a hug “chaw” in the side of his mouth, the face of smokeless tobacco. If R.J. Reynolds gets the market response they are hoping for with their new smokeless products, use of smokeless tobacco will go from hillbilly to hip.

For the past year Reynolds has been test marketing a variety of oral tobacco products. These include Camel Snus, Camel Sticks, Camel Strips, and Camel Orbs. They are clearly hoping for two things. First, they are positioning these as products that can be used in smoke-free environments (“for when you can’t smoke”) since these restrictions are cutting into their bottom line. Second, they are trying to attract new users, as always. Hence the labeling of Orbs as “Mellow” and selling them in a plastic box that looks an awful lot like Tic Tacs. The tobacco industry has a long, long history of packaging and flavoring their products to be attractive to youth. But to listen to Susan Ivey, CEO of R.J. Reynolds, their objective is one of offering a “safe” alternative to cigarettes and offering an olive branch to those in public health who have been unwilling to compromise in the goal of reducing disease and death caused by smoked tobacco.

While these smokeless products are new, R.J. Reynold’s story is old. These new smokeless products do not require that the user spits. With the exception of Camel Snus, the Orbs, Strips, and Sticks are all designed to dissolve in the mouth. The snus product also does not require spitting as it is designed to go under the upper lip and has less salt in it, both of which cause less saliva being produced. And we have absolutely no idea of the health consequences of these products. They are too new and have not been tested for safety.

R.J. Reynolds has a long and disturbing history of releasing misinformation to the public and press. Whether it be the former CEO of R.J. Reynolds testifying that he did not believe nicotine was addictive (despite evidence from internal documents from the Board and R.J.’s research scientists which clearly state otherwise) and the release of Light and Ultra Light cigarettes designed to convince smokers in the 60’s and 70’s to not quit but instead use a “lighter” product. These are simply a couple of the countless other efforts to deceive the public and RJ Reynolds cannot be taken at their word.

R.J. Reynolds continues to aggressively make and market combustible tobacco, targeting specific markets with stylized branding. Examples include Camel No. 9 aimed at young women and American Spirits branded as “natural” and targeted towards youth. So while Ms. Ivey can talk all she wants about R.J.’s efforts to reduce disease and death associated with tobacco use, their actions prove otherwise. The simplest way they could achieve this goal is to stop the production and sale of smoked tobacco, but profits come before the health and welfare of Americans. And actions speak louder than words.

So while Camel Snus, Orbs, Sticks, and Strips may take smokeless tobacco from hillbilly to hip, R.J. Reynolds does not have the health of Americans in mind. It is just more smoke and mirrors.

Here’s the truth: quitting is hip. Switching to smokeless is just changing seats on the Titanic.