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NEWS
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FDA
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Swedish Match can promote snus smokeless
tobacco as less harmful than cigarettes
Words: Patrick Griffin
I
“The FDA is essentially
endorsing the product
as a less harmful
alternative to cigarettes,
while also giving the
consumer comfort the
product meets strict
standards.”
32 VM26
n a US fi rst, The Food and Drug Administration
has approved a tobacco product to be
marketed as less harmful than smoking
cigarettes.
It has authorised Swedish Match to say that eight
of its General snus smokeless tobacco products
“puts you at a lower risk of mouth cancer, heart
disease, lung cancer, stroke, emphysema, and
chronic bronchitis” than smoking.
Snus is a type of smokeless tobacco, typically sold
inside a pouch, which is placed under the lip.
This is the fi rst time the FDA has approved a
modifi ed-risk tobacco product application and
now the wider vaping industry hopes it will pave
the way for more products to follow suit.
Analyst Owen Bennett welcomed the move as
“positive for the industry” adding: “It is essentially
the FDA endorsing the product as a less harmful
alternative to cigarettes, while also giving the
consumer comfort the product meets strict
standards.
“Such endorsement could prove very valuable
in the current environment where there is an
increasing consumer demand for less harmful
products, while at the same time there are many
fears around the safety of vaping.”
Companies seeking to market their products as
less harmful than cigarettes must go through
a time-consuming process where the FDA
scrutinizes the scientifi c evidence and evaluates
the company’s claims before ultimately making its
decision.
Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless said:
“While we are authorising these specifi c modifi ed
risk tobacco products, it’s important for the
public to understand that all tobacco products —
including these — pose risk. Anyone who does not
currently use tobacco products, especially youth,
should refrain from doing so.”
The UK’s Action on Smoking and Health has said
that snus is “over 100 times less harmful” than
smoking, however it is currently banned here
under EU law.
At October’s Vaper Expo in Birmingham, to provide
UK smokers with a legal alternative to snus,
Swedish Match, launched its tobacco-free ZYN
nicotine pouches to the UK market.
The company says ZYN offers a legal alternative
to snus and says it could particularly appeal to
vapers who could use the pouches in situations
where they cannot normally use their e-cigarettes,
such as on public transport or at the offi ce.
Swedish Match is independent of the big tobacco
companies.