How can the American Public be educated about Snus when the American Press is so Lazy?

Written by Larry Waters Saturday, 02 May 2009 10:50

The biggest problem facing snus in general but Swedish Snus in particular is education. For all practical purposes, the American Public is clueless on snus. Part of that is the industry's fault. Using the words Snuff, Snus, Smokeless Tobacco, Smokefree Tobacco, American Smokeless Tobacco interchangeably in the same paragraph confuses even myself some times.

The American Press is not a big help but this article takes the cake! It was brought to my attention by a SnusCENTRAL Member and I was stunned by the misinformation and laziness not only of the reporter, but the proof-readers and editors as well. Here are some of the more astonishing statements:

"This follows its recent introduction of Snus (rhymes with goose and should be banned solely for its name), a neat little tin filled with dissolvable tobacco packets to be placed under the tongue."

The above is beyond commenting on. It is in no way anywhere near an accurate description of snus and not even worth correcting.

Or how about this one from the same article:

"In fact, smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents, fewer than the 60 or so carcinogens in cigarettes, but not exactly healthful."

Only 60 Carcinogens in Cigarettes????????? Try 3000 to 4000 once you light it! And what are these 28 cancer causing agents in smokeless tobacco...and what is smokeless tobacco: Copenhagen and Skoal; Camel SNUS and Klondike Snus; or Swedish Snus???

All the above is from the StarTribune.com of Minneapolis/St. Paul which is all the stranger as Minnesota has a very large Swedish immigrant population. The article is entitled Danger follows a camel on a small tin box.

Some of the comments are disturbing as well. I was not aware that Swedish Match made a pasteurized nasal snuff. Is Swedish Match aware of that? I'm going to ask them in the Talk to Swedish Match section of Ask the Snus Makers! here on SnusCENTRAL.org. The rest of the comments focused on pro and anti cigarette people bashing away at each other while legalizing drugs somehow became a sub-topic.

There is a way to attack this challenge but it has to be uniquely American to have a chance. Fortunately for the United States, I know how to accomplish this.

Sincerely,

Mr. UNZ
Activist Snus Guru
Reporting From SnusCENTRAL.org

As Written by Larry Waters; aka Mr. UNZ

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7 Comments

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intriqken makes this comment

Saturday, 02 May 2009

I've almost given up trying to educate the uninformed masses out there. I agree that the industry really needs to do more to educate and I also agree that the press seems to have forgotten how to do research and don't care if their facts are right...only that they have filled the page with a popular point of view.
wesbeaty makes this comment

Saturday, 02 May 2009

LOL sounds right on par for the US reporters. And they say we don't use propaganda =P
Larry Waters aka Mr. UNZ makes this comment

Saturday, 02 May 2009

Ken, the reason I highlighted this article is that it goes beyond bad or even superficial research. The author had absolutely no idea what they were talking about and presented it as fact. The 35 comments attached to the article go from pro-smoker versus anti-smoker, marijuana legalization, and an assurtion that Swedish Match makes a low TSNA Nasal Snuff. I'm going to ask them about that...never heard of it.........Sincerely, Larry
Larry Waters aka Mr. UNZ makes this comment

Saturday, 02 May 2009

Wes, they really say we use progaganda. Bunch of hypocrites........Sincerely, Larry
tejas makes this comment

Monday, 04 May 2009

Journalism in America is pretty much dead. And they wonder why the newspaper industry is also dying. Seems pretty obvious.
Larry Waters makes this comment

Monday, 04 May 2009

Sadly Randy, it does. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press were deliberately and carefully woven into the Constitution by the Founding Fathers of these United States.......It's ironic that the ones trivializing the Constitution are the mainstream media themselves.
Andrew Romeo makes this comment

Wednesday, 06 May 2009

Larry:

One thing that's clear is, if you want to write an anti-tobacco article, go find your nearest doctor. But just wait until the inevitable statement that 'snus use leads to cigarette use.' In this article, we have:

"While the jury is still out on whether smokeless tobacco is, indeed, a precursor to smoking, Doeppers said that debate is nearly moot. Young users, he said, are moving away from choosing one nicotine fix over the other. They're choosing both, wooed by slick marketing for all products within the tobacco family."

He is making a false MARKETING claim. It is false because he is a doctor, and NOT a professional marketeer.

The last EU-commissioned report on snus claimed, in a nutshell, that they couldn't determine whether or not snus is a 'bridge' product to cigarettes, or a true cessation aid. Fair enough. But there were no 'armchair' marketing claims.

This Dr. Doeppers has no historical data or research, as a tobacco marketeer would, that would lead him to make that statement with any degree of veracity. He is not an expert on trends, or the types of advertising allowed these days at a crowded point of sale, or an adult magazine.

The truth is, as usual, that kids will learn about smoking from their parents, or from their peers who have learned from their parents. Same with dip.

Perhaps, one unintentional successful takeaway from this article is the knowledge of just how unknown snus still is in the heartland of the USA. The moron who wrote it interviewed people with no knowledge of the product, and created a deceitful article which does nothing to present snus to smokers as a pleasant and effective alternative to their current habit.