New Camel Snus Ads Encourage Smokers To Make The Switch

It has come to my attention that the manufacturer of Camel Snus, R.J. Reynolds, has recently launched a new ad campaign encouraging smokers to switch from cigarettes to snus. As a former cigarette smoker and a big proponent of the tobacco harm reduction strategy, I see R.J Reynold’s move as a major step forward for the harm reduction movement, and I can only hope that more smokers will make the switch to a much safer alternative to cigarette smoking. As time passes, I hope to see the availability of snus expand, while warning labels are modified to something more appropriate (there is no evidence that snus causes tooth disease or gum loss, and snus has been proven to be much safer than cigarette smoking).

It frustrates me knowing that my country Canada (like most other countries around the world), continues to allow consumers cheap and easy access to cigarettes, yet refuses to acknowledge the use of snus as an effective nicotine replacement therapy, and continues to make it much more difficult and expensive for consumers to purchase snus than cigarettes. Remember that Sweden has the highest snus usage rates in the EU, yet the lowest rates of lung cancer and cigarette smoking!

Below are some screenshots of the ads. I imagine that they will run in a number of major publications within the United States.

The New Camel Snus Ads