Ken Wassum, Associate Director, Clinical Development & Support

In an apparent attempt to leverage the help of tobacco users on regulatory issues like smoke-free policies and tobacco taxes, Philip Morris, US Tobacco, and John Middleton (cigar maker) have funded the creation of an organization called Citizens for Tobacco Rights.

According to their website, Citizens for Tobacco Rights “is a group of adult smokers and dippers joining together to get active on issues they care about.” A more accurate and candid description of the reason for the organization is to address the “issues” that the tobacco industry cares about.

It is clear that the industry is very concerned about FDA regulation of tobacco products and is fighting this every way they can. Higher taxes on tobacco products and more restrictions on where people can use tobacco is reducing tobacco use in the US. To counter this trend the industry is creating new products to get around these regulations, such as the creation of cigarette-sized flavored cigars, as well as flavored and dissolvable tobacco products like Camel Orbs, Stix and Strips. A long-time and proven strategy of the tobacco industry has been to make products that are attractive to teens, and flavored products are a clear attempt to do that. (If you doubt me, ask yourself the last time you heard an adult say, “You know what I would love right now? A mocha flavored mini-cigar!”)

Citizens for Tobacco Rights are encouraging members to attend Town Hall meetings to protest tobacco regulation, and to write their senators and representatives to “make their voice heard.” They also encourage “voting and civic participation,” but I bet the fine print indicates you should vote for a candidate who is opposed to tobacco regulation.

This effort to create “community” among tobacco users is not new. For the past couple years I have, nominally, been part of the Skoal Brotherhood, and as such I receive regular email promotions that are intended to make me feel a part of something bigger and better than just smoking or chewing on my own.  As part of the Brotherhood I join like-minded, manly men doing manly things in a manly way! This is consistent with tobacco advertising and marketing for the past 70 years. They do not market tobacco. They market a life style and an image of a sexy, mature, hip, adventurous, and intelligent person. So the Citizens for Tobacco Rights is a logical extension of that history. One could say that it is their effort to create an analog for Occupy Wall Street, only in this case they are not doing the work themselves. Instead they are leveraging the efforts of their addicted customers. When you think about it a minute, it is kind of sad.

It should be noted that the site does have a section on the dangers of smoking and dipping tobacco and provides links to informational sites. But before you get too carried away with relief you should know that the links take you to Philip Morris, US Tobacco, John Middleton – not to unbiased and trusted sources of information like the Centers for Disease Control or the National Cancer Institute.