Subscribe to the RSS feed.PSU Study: Tobacco Flavorants are Sweeter than Candy!
Portland State University professor Jim Pankow, has recently published research about flavorants in smokeless tobacco, pointing out, in essence that tobacco companies are using extremely high levels of candy-like flavors to attract young people to their products. The article, “Levels of mint and wintergreen flavorants: Smokeless tobacco products vs. confectionary products,” concludes that the level of flavorants in brand name smokeless tobacco products are, in fact, up to 700 percent higher than in some well-known candy products.
The piece appears in the current journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology.
“The flavorant levels in the smokeless products are markedly higher than in popular wintergreen and menthol flavored tobacco products,” said Pankow.
As Donald Austin, president of the Oregon Public Health Association, said, “tobacco companies already disregard many serious health hazards posed by the use of their products. Do they ignore the international safety limits and the risk of chronic salicylate poisoning out of ignorance, or out of cynicism and contempt for their customers? They should not be allowed to expose tobacco users to additional toxic risks from flavoring additives.”
Brett Hamilton, executive director of Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon, said “flavored tobacco products are a major concern because they are sure to lure even more kids into tobacco use and addiction. These new products no doubt appeal to kids because of their candy-like forms and flavors. In spite of promises by the tobacco industry, smokeless tobacco products continue to be marketed in a wide variety of kid-friendly candy and fruit flavors.”
Thanks, Dr, Pankow, for the research.
Where do we go from here?
