Dissolvable tobacco
Encyclopedia
Dissolvable tobacco is a tobacco
product. Unlike ordinary chewing tobacco
, it dissolves in the mouth. Major tobacco manufacturers that sell dissolvable tobacco products include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Camel
-branded "Orbs," "Strips," and "Sticks," 2009) and Star Scientific ("Ariva," 2001 and "Stonewall," 2003). The move of the major players into the smokeless tobacco market is attributed to smoke-free laws in the United States
.
Research into health effects of this 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.
, sampling at bars and nightclubs and point of purchase" advertising will support the campaign.
, dissolving in the mouth in 10–15 minutes. The Camel Sticks product is a twisted stick the size of a toothpick that lasts in the mouth about 20–30 minutes, and contains 3.1 milligrams of nicotine. The Camel Sticks are for insertion between the upper lip and gum, and come in one style, Mellow. The Camel Strips contain 0.6 milligrams of nicotine per strip and come in one style, Fresh. The 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.
) although "exposures to other tobacco-specific nitrosamines
(i.e., NNN
), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene), and metals" have not been assessed. However, Star Scientific notes, "there is currently no proof that lowering nitrosamines will decrease health risk."
, Star Scientific has not made a specific ingredient list public because it claims to "seek to protect proprietary product information" because Stonewall and Ariva are "the only dissolvable smokeless tobacco products in the marketplace."
A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control on unintentional child poisonings from ingestion of tobacco products also assessed the toxicity of the new Camel Orbs, which "are of concern due to their discreet form, candy-like appearance, and added flavorings that may be attractive to young children." The study examined two flavors of Camel Orbs to find that 42% of the nicotine was in the un-ionized form, "compared with averages of 28–30% for moist snuff and <10% for cigarettes." The danger of un-ionized nicotine is its more rapid absorption in the mouth, which could increase the nicotine’s toxicity. The lead researcher, Gregory Connolly, notes that "a small pellet with a rapid release of nicotine and a young child with a low body weight can be a very serious problem," by creating potential for nicotine poisoning
, for example, which manifests as abdominal cramps, drooling, tremors, nausea, vomiting, agitation, and in more extreme cases, seizures, coma, and death.
The study also assessed the burden of child poisonings from tobacco products across the country, finding that 13,705 tobacco product ingestion cases were reported in the two-year period, with >70% occurring in infants less than one year of age.
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
product. Unlike ordinary chewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco (also known colloquially as hoobastank, backy, tobac, doogooos,Hogleg, chewpoos, chits, chewsky, chawsky, dip, flab, chowers, guy, or a wad, as well as referred to as dipsky, snuff, a pinch, a yopper, a Packing a bomb, a tobbackey or packing a...
, it dissolves in the mouth. Major tobacco manufacturers that sell dissolvable tobacco products include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Camel
Camel (cigarette)
Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.-History:In 1913, R.J...
-branded "Orbs," "Strips," and "Sticks," 2009) and Star Scientific ("Ariva," 2001 and "Stonewall," 2003). The move of the major players into the smokeless tobacco market is attributed to smoke-free laws in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Research into health effects of this and other new tobacco products was among the reasons of the establishment of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee
Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee
The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee is an advisory panel of the United States Food and Drug Administration organized to provide advice, information and recommendations to the FDA commissioner on matters related to the regulation of tobacco products...
of the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
in 2009.
Camel Dissolvables
Camel Dissolvables is a new line of products manufactured by R.J. Reynolds. The Camel Dissolvables line includes Camel Orbs, Camel Strips, and Camel Sticks which are currently in test markets in Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, and Portland, Oregon. The Camel Dissolvables brands are marketed as "a convenient alternative to cigarettes, and moist snuff for adult tobacco consumers." Camel Dissolvables "will not be positioned as a smoking cessation or reduced risk product," and are evolutions from the loose and pouched smokeless tobacco options. With marketing still being developed, R.J. Reynolds has announced that "print ads, direct marketingDirect marketing
Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional...
, sampling at bars and nightclubs and point of purchase" advertising will support the campaign.
Product constituents
The Camel Orbs contain 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." The Camel Orbs come in two styles, Mellow and Fresh. Each pellet contains 1 milligram of nicotineNicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
, dissolving in the mouth in 10–15 minutes. The Camel Sticks product is a twisted stick the size of a toothpick that lasts in the mouth about 20–30 minutes, and contains 3.1 milligrams of nicotine. The Camel Sticks are for insertion between the upper lip and gum, and come in one style, Mellow. The Camel Strips contain 0.6 milligrams of nicotine per strip and come in one style, Fresh. The Camel Strips last 2–3 minutes on the tongue, administering nicotine through thin film drug delivery
Thin film drug delivery
Thin film drug delivery uses a dissolving film or oral drug strip to administer drugs via absorption in the mouth and/or via the small intestines...
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.
Ariva and Stonewall dissolvables
Currently, Star Scientific manufactures two brands of dissolvable tobacco, Ariva and Stonewall. Both brands contain Virginia StarCured flue-cured powdered Virginia tobacco compressed into smoke-free, spit-free, flavored dissolvable tobacco pieces packaged in blister packages and cardboard carton. The Ariva and Stonewall brands are 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. The product is not marketed as a smoking cessation product, but an "alternative tobacco product" that is "not combusted." Star Scientific recommends the Ariva brand for smokers whereas, the Stonewall brand is recommended for heavy smokers, defined as smokers who consume more than one pack a day, and users of other smokeless tobacco products such as snuff. The Ariva brand has been shown to have significantly reduced levels of tobacco-specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-butanone (NNKNNK
Nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone , or 4-- 1--1-butanone, is a nitrosamine present in tobacco that is a potent procarcinogen. It is activated by CYP2A6. It is a biomarker of exposure to cigarette smoke. It is produced upon the curing of tobacco.-External links:*...
) although "exposures to other tobacco-specific nitrosamines
Tobacco-specific nitrosamines
Tobacco-specific nitrosamines comprise one of the most important groups of carcinogens in tobacco products, particularly cigarettes and American style dipping snuff.-Background:...
(i.e., NNN
N-Nitrosonornicotine
N-Nitrosonornicotine is a nitrosamine found in tobacco that has been classified by the IARC as a Group 1 carcinogen.Although no adequate studies of the relationship between exposure to NNN and human cancer have been reported, there is sufficient evidence that NNN causes cancer in experimental...
), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzo[a]pyrene), and metals" have not been assessed. However, Star Scientific notes, "there is currently no proof that lowering nitrosamines will decrease health risk."
Product constituents
The Ariva brand, introduced in 2001, contains 1.5 milligrams of nicotine in each piece and dissolves in the mouth in 10–30 minutes. The Stonewall brand, introduced in 2003, have more surface area than the Ariva pieces and contain four milligrams of nicotine per piece, with each piece dissolving in 10–30 minutes. The Ariva brand is offered in Wintergreen flavor and the Stonewall brand is offered in Natural, Wintergreen, and Java flavors. Other than the Virginia StarCured Tobacco and "other natural and artificial flavorings" including the non-sugar sweetener sucraloseSucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body and therefore it is non-caloric. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose , twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3...
, Star Scientific has not made a specific ingredient list public because it claims to "seek to protect proprietary product information" because Stonewall and Ariva are "the only dissolvable smokeless tobacco products in the marketplace."
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. Currently, these dissolvable products, including Ariva and Camel Orbs, remain unregulated by the FDA.A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control on unintentional child poisonings from ingestion of tobacco products also assessed the toxicity of the new Camel Orbs, which "are of concern due to their discreet form, candy-like appearance, and added flavorings that may be attractive to young children." The study examined two flavors of Camel Orbs to find that 42% of the nicotine was in the un-ionized form, "compared with averages of 28–30% for moist snuff and <10% for cigarettes." The danger of un-ionized nicotine is its more rapid absorption in the mouth, which could increase the nicotine’s toxicity. The lead researcher, Gregory Connolly, notes that "a small pellet with a rapid release of nicotine and a young child with a low body weight can be a very serious problem," by creating potential for nicotine poisoning
Nicotine poisoning
Nicotine poisoning describes the symptoms of the toxic effects of consuming nicotine, which can potentially be deadly. Historically, most cases of nicotine poisoning have been the result of use of nicotine as an insecticide....
, for example, which manifests as abdominal cramps, drooling, tremors, nausea, vomiting, agitation, and in more extreme cases, seizures, coma, and death.
The study also assessed the burden of child poisonings from tobacco products across the country, finding that 13,705 tobacco product ingestion cases were reported in the two-year period, with >70% occurring in infants less than one year of age.
Industry responses
- Response from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to Pediatrics Article on Unintentional Child Poisonings Through Ingestion of Conventional and Novel Tobacco Products
- R.J. Reynolds Response Statement to Camel Dissolvables Misrepresentations
- Star Scientific Statement on Tobacco Product Ingestion Study