R.J. Reynolds Testing Dissolveable Tobacco

Source from:  WSAW Wausau 05/31/2009

Parents may want to watch out, as tobacco companies are coming under fire again for marketing to children, although not with ads, but with new types of products. R.J. Reynolds is testing three new products, featuring dissolvable tobacco, all of which look and taste like candy. Critics of the products say the tobacco company is doing what it did with Joe Camel: marketing not to smokers, but smoker wanna-bes. Dan Smith with the American Cancer Society says, "Really what you're doing with kids actually, it's kind of like a gateway drug. You're getting them addicted to nicotine, which then leads them to possibly wanting to do other things." One 'dissolvable' will contain 3 times as much nicotine as one cigarette, which leaves users vulnerable to nicotine poisoning and oral cancer. R.J. Reynolds says their new 'dissolvables' are being created to solve problems for existing smokers, such as second hand smoke, or having to get rid of cigarette butts, and as with existing products, they'll have warning labels, and will be illegal for kids to buy. But either way, it is one more thing for parents to look out for. Enditem