Tobacco Industry News

Reports

A different Camel is back in the glossies
Major tobacco companies, namely R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, have turned their marketing efforts towards snus, a smokeless tobacco product that is promoted as “spitless.” While both companies volunteered to stop advertising cigarettes in magazines, there is no agreement that exists on the advertising of smokeless tobacco products. R.J. Reynolds is once again using the popular Camel logo to advertise Camel Snus in magazines such as Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and Maxim. Camel Snus is being marketed as a way around smoking bans, rather than as a replacement to cigarettes, threatening further nicotine addiction with dual use of the products. R.J. Reynolds is also in the process of test marketing “dissolvables”, or finely ground tobacco in the form of small mint pellets, which would target children and female users. Click here to read more.

Star Scientific plans to seek FDA approval for new products
Star Scientific Inc. recently announced its plans to be the first company to apply for federal approval to sell reduced-risk tobacco products. Under the new federal tobacco regulations, the FDA is responsible for reviewing the scientific evidence about a product’s health risks before companies make marketing claims regarding “modified-risk” products. Star Scientific holds a patent for a tobacco curing process that reduces nitrosamines, which are among the most harmful carcinogens found in smokeless tobacco. A company representative has said that one of the company’s reduced-risk products would be a dissolvable smokeless tobacco lozenge. Click here for more details.

New CTFK fact sheets on tobacco industry marketing
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has updated its fact sheets to reflect the new data reported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on tobacco marketing expenditures. Click here to download the fact sheet with state-specific estimates of tobacco company marketing expenditures. Additional factsheets with updated tobacco industry marketing numbers can be found here.

Altria plans expansion of Marlboro snus
This fall, Philip Morris USA will expand marketing of snus, a new moist smokeless tobacco product marketed under the Marlboro brand. The product was first introduced in test markets in Dallas, Indianapolis and Phoenix. As the FDA tightens its control of cigarette marketing and sales, tobacco companies are looking to market snus as a route to cessation and a safer alternative to cigarettes. The company notes that many smokers have tried its newest cigarette, a menthol cigarette called Marlboro Blend No. 54. A “full-flavor” menthol version of the L&M brand of discount cigarettes will soon be launched as part of a push to expand the company’s market share in menthol cigarettes. For more information, click here.

Int'l Trade Commission stops import of fake cigarettes
In response to a complaint about cigarette counterfeiting filed by Philip Morris USA in 2008, the International Trade Commission has ordered U.S. customs officials to ban imports of counterfeit cigarettes that emulate Philip Morris’s trademarks. “Gray market” cigarettes may either be stolen merchandise, or produced by underground foreign manufacturers that do not follow the same quality standards used in the U.S. Gray market cigarettes may not carry health warnings as required by federal law, and often sell for far cheaper than legitimate brands because they are not taxed. As states raise taxes to increase the cost of cigarettes, “gray market” cigarettes become more appealing. Click here for more information.

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