Dissolvable tobacco

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Dissolvable tobacco is a smokeless tobacco product that dissolves in the mouth. Major tobacco manufacturers that sell dissolvable tobacco products include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Research into health effects of dissolvable and other new tobacco products was among the reasons of the establishment of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration in 2009. [1]

Contents

Camel Dissolvables

Camel Dissolvables were manufactured by R.J. Reynolds from 2009-2013 for the US market. [2] The Camel Dissolvables line includes Camel Orbs, Camel Strips, and Camel Sticks, and were marketed as "a convenient alternative to cigarettes, and moist snuff for adult tobacco consumers." [3] Reynolds said that the products "will not be positioned as a smoking cessation or reduced risk product". [4]

Ingredients

Camel Orbs contained finely grained tobacco mixed with "additives such as water, flavorants, binders, colorants, pH adjusters, buffering agents, fillers, disintegration aids, humectants, antioxidants, oral care ingredients, preservatives, additives derived from herbal or botanical sources, and mixtures thereof." [5] Each pellet contained 1 milligram of nicotine, dissolving in the mouth in 10–15 minutes. [3] Camel Sticks product was a twisted stick the size of a toothpick that lasts in the mouth about 20–30 minutes, and contains 3.1 milligrams of nicotine. Camel Sticks were designed for insertion between the upper lip and gum. Camel Strips contained 0.6 milligrams of nicotine per strip. [3] Camel Strips last 2–3 minutes on the tongue, administering nicotine through thin film drug delivery technology as used in Listerine PocketPacks breath freshening strips. A specific ingredient list naming all additives has not been made public for any of the Camel Dissolvables brands. The products were sold with two flavors, mellow or fresh/mint.

Ariva and Stonewall dissolvables

From 2001 to 2012, Star Scientific manufactured two brands of dissolvable tobacco in the US, Ariva and Stonewall, both made with powdered compressed tobacco. [6] [7] They were said to be marketed as a means of "reducing toxins in tobacco so that adult consumers can have access to products that expose them to sharply reduced toxin levels" while still providing consumers with tobacco and nicotine. Star Scientific recommended Ariva brand for smokers and Stonewall for heavy smokers, defined as smokers who consume more than one pack a day, and users of other smokeless tobacco products such as snuff. [6] Ariva was shown to have lower levels of brand has been shown to have a significantly reduced levels of one tobacco-specific lung carcinogen but many others were not assessed. [8]

Ingredients

Ariva, introduced in 2001, contained 1.5 milligrams of nicotine in each piece and dissolved in the mouth in 10–30 minutes. [6] Stonewall, introduced in 2003 had more surface area than the Ariva pieces and contained 4 milligrams of nicotine per piece, with each piece dissolving in 10–30 minutes. [6] Ariva was sold in Wintergreen flavor and Stonewall was sold with Natural, Wintergreen, and Java flavors. Other than tobacco and "other natural and artificial flavorings," including the non-sugar sweetener sucralose, Star Scientific did not list product ingredients. [9]

Public health reactions

Underage consumption

From the introduction of Ariva in 2001 there have been several public health claims that the dissolvable tobacco products pose a serious risk for unintentional poisonings in children and adolescents. Petitions from the American Cancer Society, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Attorneys General from 39 states, and multiple public health organizations were sent to the FDA asking for regulation of the Ariva brand and similar products. [10]

A study on unintentional child poisonings from ingestion of tobacco products also assessed the toxicity of Camel Orbs, which "are of concern due to their discreet form, candy-like appearance, and added flavorings that may be attractive to young children." [11] Reynolds and Star Scientific critiqued the study [12] [13] [14]

Harm reduction

A panel of public health researchers suggested that low nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products such as dissolvables could be a less harmful form of tobacco compared to cigarettes. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company</span> American tobacco manufacturing company

The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and headquartered at the RJR Plaza Building. Founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the second-largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American, after merging with the U.S. operations of British American Tobacco in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier (cigarette)</span>

Premier was an American brand of smokeless cigarettes which was owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR). Premier was released in the United States in 1988. It was the first commercial heated tobacco product. However, it was difficult to use and tasted unpleasant; as a result, it was unpopular with consumers. A commercial failure, the brand was a significant financial loss for RJR and was quickly taken off the market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snus</span> Moist tobacco product placed under the upper lip

Snus is a smokeless tobacco product that is used by placing it bumb hole the upper lip and gum to absorb for extended periods. Snus is not fermented. Although used similarly to American dipping tobacco, snus does not typically result in the need for spitting, and, unlike naswar, snus is steam-pasteurized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Match</span> Swedish multinational tobacco company

Swedish Match AB is a Swedish multinational tobacco company headquartered in Stockholm. The company manufactures snus, nicotine pouches, moist snuff, tobacco- and nicotine-free pouch products, chewing tobacco, chew bags, tobacco bits, cigars, matches, lighters, and other fire products with operations in Sweden, Denmark, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, the Netherlands, and the Philippines. The company's origins can be traced back to 1868, and Ivar Kreuger. Swedish Match has played an important part in Sweden's industrial development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chewing tobacco</span> Type of smokeless tobacco product

Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco product that is placed between the cheek and lower gum to draw out its flavor. It consists of coarsely chopped aged tobacco that is flavored and often sweetened; it is not ground fine like dipping tobacco. Unwanted juices are spat after use.

<i>Nicotiana rustica</i> Species of plant

Nicotiana rustica, commonly known as Aztec tobacco or strong tobacco, is a rainforest plant in the family Solanaceae native to South America. It is a very potent variety of tobacco, containing up to nine times more nicotine than common species of Nicotiana such as Nicotiana tabacum. More specifically, N. rustica leaves have a nicotine content as high as 9%, whereas N. tabacum leaves contain about 1 to 3%. The high concentration of nicotine in its leaves makes it useful for producing pesticides, and it has a wide variety of uses specific to cultures around the world. However, N. rustica is no longer cultivated in North America, as N. tabacum has replaced it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipping tobacco</span> Finely ground smokeless tobacco product

Dipping tobacco is a type of finely ground or shredded, moistened smokeless tobacco product. It is commonly and idiomatically known as dip. Dipping tobacco is used by placing a pinch, or "dip", of tobacco between the lip and the gum. The act of using it is called dipping. Dipping tobacco is colloquially called chaw, snuff, rub, or fresh leaf among other terms; because of this, it is sometimes confused with other tobacco products—namely dry snuff.

<i>N</i>-Nitrosonornicotine Chemical compound

N-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) is a tobacco-specific nitrosamine produced during the curing and processing of tobacco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reynolds American</span> American tobacco company

Reynolds American, Inc. is an American tobacco company which is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco and is the second-largest tobacco company in the United States. Its holdings include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, American Snuff Company, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, and Niconovum AB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokeless tobacco</span> Tobacco product used by means other than smoking

Smokeless tobacco is a tobacco product that is used by means other than smoking. Their use involves chewing, sniffing, or placing the product between gum and the cheek or lip. Smokeless tobacco products are produced in various forms, such as chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, and dissolvable tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco is widely used in South Asia and this accounts for about 80% of global consumption. All smokeless tobacco products contain nicotine and are therefore highly addictive. Quitting smokeless tobacco use is as challenging as smoking cessation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snuff (tobacco)</span> Smokeless tobacco type

Snuff is a type of smokeless tobacco product made from finely ground or pulverized tobacco leaves. It is snorted or "sniffed" into the nasal cavity, delivering nicotine and a flavored scent to the user. Traditionally, it is sniffed or inhaled lightly after a pinch of snuff is either placed onto the back surface of the hand, held pinched between thumb and index finger, or held by a specially made "snuffing" device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavored tobacco</span> Tobacco product with added flavorings

Flavored tobacco products — tobacco products with added flavorings — include types of cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars, hookahs and hookah tobacco, various types of smokeless tobacco, and more recently electronic cigarettes. Flavored tobacco products are especially popular with youth and have therefore become targets of regulation in several countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modified risk tobacco product</span> United States legal designation

A modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) is a legal designation in the United States for a tobacco product that poses lower health risks to individual users and the population as a whole when compared to existing products on the market such as cigarettes. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gives the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broad authority to regulate tobacco products; the FDA's power extends to approving or rejecting MRTP applications.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Truth Tobacco Industry Documents is a digital archive of tobacco industry documents, funded by Truth Initiative and created and maintained by the University of California, San Francisco. The Library is a part of the larger UCSF Industry Documents Library which also includes the Drug Industry Document Archive, the Food Industry Documents Archive and the Chemical Industry Documents Archive. TTID contains over 14 million documents produced by major tobacco companies and organizations, many of them internal strategic memoranda made public as a consequence of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. The documents deal with the tobacco industry's advertising, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and scientific research activities for the last century. Researchers, journalists, students, and activists interested in tobacco control issues and public health policies use the Library extensively to investigate tobacco industry strategies. Research in this archive revealed the tobacco industry playbook and its parallels with techniques linked to climate change denial.

A heated tobacco product (HTP) is a tobacco product that heats the tobacco at a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes. These products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive chemical. The heat generates an aerosol or smoke to be inhaled from the tobacco, which contains nicotine and other chemicals. HTPs may also contain additives not found in tobacco, including flavoring chemicals. HTPs generally heat tobacco to temperatures under 600 °C (1100 °F), a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes.

The composition of the emissions generated from heated tobacco products are generally lower than that found in cigarette smoke. This is due to the comparatively low temperatures, the filter systems, and physical design. The composition of what is produced is complex. The main toxicants found in the emissions of cigarette smoke are also found in the emissions of these products in varying concentrations. The aerosol generated contains levels of nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals that are comparable to regular cigarettes. The emissions contained 84% of the nicotine found in regular cigarettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotine pouch</span> Nicotine product

Nicotine pouches are white pouches usually made from plant fibers containing nicotine among other ingredients. They do not include tobacco leaf, dust, or stem. The nicotine may either be derived from tobacco plants or may be synthetic. Nicotine pouches are described as either similar to or a tobacco-free version of snus.

The chemical constituents of different types of snus vary, and population-level studies suggest that the disease risks vary as well. Using snus is harmful to health, although much less than smoking tobacco.

References

  1. ↑ "Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee"
  2. ↑ Journal, Richard Craver Winston-Salem (16 July 2020). "FDA orders removal of Camel dissolvable products. The products have been off store shelves since 2013, Reynolds says". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  3. 1 2 3 "R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Products at a Glance: Camel Sticks, Strips, and Orbs". Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  4. ↑ Beirne, Mike. R.J. Reynolds Preps Dissolvable Tobacco [ permanent dead link ]. Brandweek. 8 October 2008.
  5. ↑ Dube, Michael Francis, et al. Smokeless Tobacco Composition. U. S. Patent Application. 7 Feb 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Star Scientific. Frequently Asked Questions. 2007. Accessed 22 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Star Scientific (STSI) to Discontinue Ariva, Stonewall Hard Snuff Production and Sales". StreetInsider.com. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  8. ↑ Baumgart, et al. "Pilot study on lower nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products compared with medicinal nicotine." Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 12 December 2007.
  9. ↑ Starconsumerctr. "Other Ingredients?" General Discussion. 17 Jul 2009. Accessed 22 April 2010.
  10. ↑ Citizen Petitions for Regulation of Ariva. Comments In Support of the Citizen Petitions for Regulation of Ariva. Archived 2011-01-06 at the Wayback Machine In the Food and Drug Administration. 17 July 2002: 1.
  11. ↑ Connolly, Gregory N. et al. "Unintentional Child Poisonings Through Ingestion of Conventional and Novel Tobacco Products". Pediatrics. 19 April 2010.
  12. ↑ Response from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to Pediatrics Article on Unintentional Child Poisonings Through Ingestion of Conventional and Novel Tobacco Products Archived May 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ R.J. Reynolds Response Statement to Camel Dissolvables Misrepresentations Archived December 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Star Scientific Statement on Tobacco Product Ingestion Study
  15. ↑ Levy, David. Et al. "The Relative Risks of a Low-Nitrosamine Smokeless Tobacco Product Compared with Smoking Cigarettes: Estimates of a Panel of Experts." Cancer Epedemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. December 2004 13; 2035.
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