Deseret News | Agency warns of candy-like tobacco

Reader comments
Agency warns of candy-like tobacco

Seriously? WOW! | 3:44 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Wow. If what the DNews is reporting is true, it sounds like tobacco companies are even more evil than I thought. I guess because I don't see their advertising I assumed they had given up on Utah. I guess not. Guess Big Tobacco still, "Loves You 'Til Death" like the article states.

Misinformed Propaganda | 3:48 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

This article is typical misinformed anti-tobacco propaganda. Surprise! Adults like flavors, it isn't for the kiddies.

Snus is not an American invention, and Camel Snus shouldn't even be able to carry that moniker. Snus is regulated as a food product in Sweden and is extremely low in TSNA's and is drastically harm-reduced comapared to smoking. Do some research, snus is about 98% safer than smoking and could save hundreds of thousands of lives if smokers switched to snus. But I doubt the anti-tobacco folk are interested in the truth.

Let's approach this with a rational harm reduction strategy instead of ridiculous taxation, moralistic "philosophical" tripe, and prohibition. The products with less harm get taxed much less, higher harm products much more. Makes sense, that's why it will probably never happen. I think the anti-tobacco crowd is more interested in controlling lives than in saving lives.

After tobacco, what's next on the list?

Vince | 3:54 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Not only has Big Tobacco not given up on Utah - they have targeted Utah! BT spends more than $60 million each year marketing their products in the beehive state....signage, posters, ads in City Weekly (yes, go have a look) people passing out samples at endless bars and nightclubs, on and on. Now the clever folks at BT have launched a series of new, smokelss "disolvable tobacco" products that look and smell like candy and mints. They've done this just in time that the FDA cannot regulate these new products. Yes, they are very clever and very rich.

Comments continue below

tobacco kills | 4:10 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Misinformed propaganda is probably a tobacco lobbysist trying to make it seem like the tobacco industry is a nobel industry trying to produce a harm-reduced product. But really, when has the tobacco industry ever cared about thier clients? When have they ever produced a product that doesn't addict people so they can keep making money? When have they ever produced a product that doesn't disable or kill. Snus, cigarettes, chew - there is no safe level of tobacco (Surgeon General)

Anonymous | 4:16 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Re:Misinformed Propaganda

You sound like a pharmaceutical expert. I don't know what kind of license you have. Is that a license from the tobacco companies? I just wonder.

Another Error | 4:19 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

Snus is not a dissolvable. As the story mentions, it is in a tea bag type pouch. Has your tea bag dissolved lately? This leads me to believe that the toxins that are mentioned are not in Snus but some other product. Maybe the author should have checked with Misinformed Propaganda before submitting such a poor article.

Misinformed Propaganda | 6:08 p.m. Oct. 22, 2009

I am not a tobacco lobbyist. Did anyone bother looking into the countless Swedish studies on snus use? I doubt it. I have no love for American tobacco companies, but it was mainly Republican politicians who wouldn't allow tobacco product ingredients to be regulated up to food standards.

Your politicians (in concert with the tobacco companies) regulated tobacco products in a completely different way than in other countries.

Revenue was the main reason. Everyone on here that hates every tobacco product so bad, I ask you one question. Where will the tax revenue generated by the sales of tobacco products come from if they are overtaxed or banned? Proceeds from tobacco pay for children to have health care(SCHIP). They fatten the general fund. Maybe the anti-tobacco groups could help pay the missing funds and people could pay for their own kids instead of extorting the money unfairly and discriminating against one minority group.

Or maybe churches could start to pay property tax.;)

Anonymous | 11:42 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009

Look, I don't want to take a mint and then be addicted to nicotine. This is a terribly addictive substance. I don't want little innocent kids to be hooked because that ate something that they thought was candy. This is diabolical!!!

Crying wolf | 4:27 a.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Once again these zealots are calling this a tobacco product when it is not. And its an imported product unrelated to the tobacco industry as this story is implying. I guess the next step is to blame tobacco for all chemicals in food that are also in tobacco. This group has found another means to slander and falsify findings.

There are many products on the market with the same chemicals and additives as tobacco so this is an unwarranted attack on an industry unrelated to the product. Why aren't the zealots calling for criminal action on chemist who design and promote chemical poisoning? Why aren't they attacking the FDA for allowing the import of these products?

Instead they are implying and accusing the wrong industry just to spread hate and fear. If any group should be charged as a hate crime group it should be these zealots.

Addiction | 9:26 a.m. Oct. 26, 2009

It's time we quit pandering to the needs of the addicted, which most times come off as appealing to children as well. Addicted adults need to get a clue and do something hard, like breaking the addiction, without needing some sort of candy flavored fix to do it. I'm tired of hearing of and seeing adults who refuse to do something hard or whine about their terrible state. Make good choices and just make the change.

I've forced myself to make dietary changes before I'm in a bad health state and between diet and exercise I've lost more than 30lbs. This effort has been terribly difficult but is similar to what any other sort of addiction. A strong determination can overcome many obstacles and does not need a candy coating.

To: Misinformed Propaganda | 9:29 a.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Do you have a financial interest in this issue? I suspect you do.

nicotine | 11:07 a.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Is a regulated substance, you have to show ID to even by cessation products like nicotine gum or patches. Your kids aren't going to be able to go buy nicotine candy off the shelf, just like they aren't able to go buy cigarettes, american chew or snus without being of age.

A toxicologist's opinion | 11:48 a.m. Oct. 26, 2009

I am a toxicologist. I do not work for "Big Tobacco". As a lifelong member of the LDS Church, I have never used any type of tobacco product.

Misinformed Propaganda is absolutely correct.

Using snus or chew or other oral tobacco products instead of smoking it signficantly reduces your risk for cancer. If, as M-P says, smokers suddenly switched to Snus there would be a drastic reduction in the rates of most types of tobacco-associated cancers.

That is the truth, regardless of who says it.

Now, is it completely safe? No, because oral use of tobacco is associated with higher risks of cancers of the tongue, mouth, esophagus, etc. If one is trying to reduce one's risk for cancer, it would be better to not use tobacco at all.

But in the overall scheme of things, Snus is not anywhere close to be as hazardous to the public health as cigarettes are. Let's make rational policy decisions based on real risk, not knee-jerk reactions and sensational appeals.

uncannygunman | 1:10 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

I haven't tried Snus, but if it's anything like any other tobacco product I've put in my mouth there is no way anyone would confuse it with candy, flavor or no flavor. The first time I tried chewing tobacco I thought I was going throw up or die, or both.

I'm not an astronaut | 2:01 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Thank you for the Sweedish reports. They look accurate. But if you haven't noticed, we sell Camel Snus is America. Camel Snus has not been tested. If Camel is confident in the results, why will they not allow us to test it and have open look at their research, marketing, and products. Did you also see the research that says Camel Snus has roughly 6mg of nicotine while a cigarette has 1mg. So the tobacco companies are doing what they said "We are then in the business of selling nicotine."

In comment to what 'nicotine' said, ask any teenager, they can get whatever they want with out showing ID. It's not a perfect world.

To 'Crying wolf' tobacco products is different than chemical poison, tobacco products will kill 1 out of 3 users WHEN USED AS INTENDED.

And MisPropeganda, I don't know where to start.

A toxicologist's opinion | 2:02 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

Hey Misinformed Propaganda,

I just made a comment under the "toxicologist" name. Could you two be the same person?

Just a shot in the dark.

Re: A toxicologist's opinion | 2:54 p.m. Oct. 26, 2009

No, but try again.

However, be advised that merely criticizing the messenger is not the same as refuting his argument.

Oral tobacco products such as Snus are less hazardous overall to your health than cigarettes. Notice that I did not say non-hazardous, but less hazardous.

Sorry, but that's the TRUTH.

Common Sense | 12:46 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

There is no safe tobacco product. Anyone who says otherwise is clearly misinformed.

Blowing Smoke | 12:52 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

For a company that doesn’t market to kids, they’re sure doing a good job of getting kids to use their products…to the tune of 3,600 new youth users every day.

The tobacco industry has stated before that they don’t market to kids. However, court proceedings have found otherwise.

Sorry about the TRUTH | 12:55 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Less hazardous. Makes me feel better. Is there a safer way to get hit by a car? Is there a safer cancer to get.

Yes I'm sure you could answer those.

Snus is just becoming the diet soda of tobacco?

Accurate Info | 1:05 p.m. Oct. 27, 2009

Swedish Snus and Camel Snus are not the same. However, both will kill you.

Yep | 11:41 a.m. Nov. 2, 2009

I hate the tobacco industry.

Kudos Trib | 2:46 p.m. Nov. 19, 2009

Grateful to the Tribune for shedding light on this new breed of death. Where is the recall on these kid killers?

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.