Public outcry prompts cigarette company to pull smokeless products

By Staff Writer

The cigarette manufacturer R.J. Reynolds (RJR) has pulled its smokeless tobacco products in the test markets of Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis and Portland, Oregon. The company recently announced that it will stop distributing Camel Sticks, Strips and Orbs in those cities, following harsh criticism from elected officials and concerned members of the public.

The smokeless products were under fire because they were packaged like candy, which many felt was part of an effort to attract children. According to Matthew Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, RJR is pulling the products temporarily and it's possible that the packaging is re-designed and test-marketed elsewhere.

Matthews said that the dissolvable tobacco products are packaged to resemble mints or gum, and one of the ads included the phrase, "Enjoy Anywhere. Anytime. Anyplace."

The 2010 Monitoring the Future Survey, which was released last week, revealed that about 8.5 percent of seniors in high school use smokeless tobacco products, which is a 39 percent increase since 2006.

Children who experiment with tobacco products may benefit for boarding schools, which aim to provide help for troubled teens.