Reader comments
Readers' forum: Clarification on tobacco

Anonymous | 2:53 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Oh good. Whew. Thanks for the clarification. That makes it okay to sell an addictive product that kills people. Thanks.

Anonymous | 7:05 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Tommy, what good have you done by selling your product? You cause people to lose parts of their body and their lives. They waste money that could buy necessary food for their families. You should "feel good" about your defense of your poisonous product.

Mike Roderick | 7:42 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Mr. Payne,

Thank you so much for clearing that up. I appreciate you making a distinction between your product and candy. The only problem is that you forgot to mention the long term differences. For example, candy gives kids a sugar high and causes cavities. Where your product will simply kill them.

Comments continue below

dave | 9:37 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Anonymous | 2:53 a.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Like religion?

learn something new every day | 3:22 p.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Didn't know that nicotine caused lung cancer! All this time I thought it was the smoke. . . "The carcinogenic properties of nicotine in standalone form, separate from tobacco smoke, have not been evaluated by the IARC, and it has not been assigned to an official carcinogen group. The currently available literature indicates that nicotine, on its own, does not promote the development of cancer in healthy tissue and has no mutagenic properties." (from the entry on "Nicotine" in Wikipedia.)

Bill Baumgardner Sr. | 4:33 p.m. Nov. 1, 2009

WIKIPEDIA!! I am sure glad I do not depend on this source for my information. Ha Ha Ha. What a joke.

Hey Bill! | 4:52 p.m. Nov. 1, 2009

Don't like Wikipedia? Read the article and the sources and then make comments. I have found Wikipedia to be reliable for most uses I have. The articles that usually get tampered with are ones on personalities like politicians etc. Generally, Wikipedia is an excellent source which refers one to other sources. Don't badmouth something you know nothing about.

Slimy | 11:48 a.m. Nov. 2, 2009

Seriously? Why do we let the tobacco industry run rampant in this country, killing people for profit. What a joke!

It's all about the money | 11:51 a.m. Nov. 2, 2009

The audacity it takes to defend tobacco products that kill millions worldwide every year is beyond belief.

Anonymous | 1:21 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

Because dissolvable tobacco products have been sold in the U.S. for years mean that these products are safe? Absolutely not! I don't get why this point was even mentioned. These products are obviously marketed to kids with the flavoring and packaging.

Anonymous | 1:26 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

So to further clarify... The agency said "Candy-like" not CANDY as Mr. Payne continues. The product is in child-resistant packages that are hard for adults to open, so they will most likely leave them open, to ensure fast access to their FIX, and endangering the little ones that cannot distinguish between CANDY and CANDY-LIKE. Thanks a lot for the clarification Mr. Payne. Little kids will still be at risk of ingesting dangerous amounts of your disgusting product. It only takes a handful of orbs to put a small child in a coma! You seriously disgust me!

RE -- Anonymous | 1:26 p.m | 2:29 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

["It only takes a handful of orbs to put a small child in a coma!"]

and it only takes a small amount of radiator fluid to do the same thing... so what kind of parent gives either one to a child? you all must be some REALLY lousy parents.

["You seriously disgust me"]

and ALL of you disgust me. You want to once again control what adult do. When will you get it through your thick skulls that we should be allowed to make our own decisions?? what happened to your religious principle of free will?

when did we become the soviet union and china by making everything illegal instead of allowing adults to do what they want? what happened to FREEDOM?? only 18 and above can buy the product - what more do you want? if you had your way, we'd all be living in covered wagons living in mayberry rfd!!

get a life and let others have theirs to do with as they wish. wow you people make me mad trying to control what I do. you do your thing and I'll do mine - stay out of my business and I won't criticize your religious_fanticism.

Anonymous | 3:02 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

TO -- "Anonymous | 1:21 p.m. Nov. 2

["These products are obviously marketed to kids with the flavoring and packaging"]

well I'm 52 and I would buy it because it tastes good. If it wasn't candy-flavored, I wouldn't buy it. and the wrapping is standard - not aimed towards kids.

your entire statement is dripping with "I want to control what everyone else does" republican troll.

Wow | 6:52 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

I think the point of all of this is, tobacco kills. And the tobacco industry makes a profit off of slow suicide. No one said you can't use tobacco. No one is trying to control you. These are facts.

SLC ME | 6:54 p.m. Nov. 2, 2009

Unconscionable industry.

Anonymous | 9:41 a.m. Nov. 3, 2009

re - Wow | 6:52 p.m and SLC ME | 6:54 p.m

some of us LIKE tobacco. I don't hear you complaining about fast food, and probably buy it for you and your kids, and it's just as big a killer. I don't see $2 a burger taxes like on tobacco. Most of you don't smoke and don't like tobacco so it's real easy to say how bad it is.

it's my life. If I live 10 years less and enjoy myself, that is MY decision. Stop judging others.

McDonalds makes a profit off of slow suicide - get off your high horses.

Dear Anonymous | 2:28 p.m. Nov. 3, 2009

Burgers aren't the number one preventable cause of death in this country, nor do they kill people through secondhand consumption. But they are certainly bad for your health. Obesity is an important issue too.

And volumes of literature and scientific studies say how bad it is, not me. Only have to look at the death toll to see that.

Go ahead and smoke. No one says you can't.

Kids count... | 2:33 p.m. Nov. 3, 2009

My 14 year old cousin just starting using some minty flavored tobacco garbage this week. RJ Reynolds doesn't market to kids? Get real. Our family is left holding the bag.

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