Tobacco companies imply that Snus is the new safer way to smoke, is that enitrely true - Essay Example

Regardless of findings, tobacco was responsible for over 1 million deaths in 1990. (Tobacco and health 2007) The results include both smoked and non smoked forms of tobacco. Snus is a product that is made of tobacco. It is similar to cigarettes accept it is not smoked by the consumer and inhaled through the lungs. Snus is a low moisture tobacco product that is in a bag similar to a tea bag. The consumer uses the snus in the gum line. The snus is then dissolved in the mouth to release nicotine.

(J Foulds, L Ramstrom, M Burke, K Fagerstro?m2003) What is important to consider is whether or not consumers believe that snus is safer then smoking. Since snus is not inhaled in the lungs and through the air passages, it does reduce the risk of lung cancer. Yes, this is an important risk reduction when choosing snus instead of traditional smoking but lung cancer is not the only problem associated with tobacco use. Tobacco use regardless of the form is harmful to many areas of the body and contains many carcinogens and added ingredients.

Tobacco comes in many different forms and is thought of in the United States as being unsafe regardless of which tobacco form is used. Since tobacco is portrayed as unsafe, does the public actually think that snus is safer than traditional forms of smoking such as cigarettes, roll your own, or pipes. In a study conducted by Nicotine & Tobacco Research Volume 9, Number 10 (October 2007) 1033–1042, it was found that only as much as 20% of tobacco users through many different countries thought that smokeless tobacco like snus was less harmful than traditional forms of tobacco.

These findings are a great supporting document that consumers do not believe claims that are made by tobacco companies. If the tobacco companies claim that snus is a safer tobacco but only 20% believe it is, tobacco companies are proved to be unreliable. It is a fact that tobacco companies produce false statements. The question, tobacco companies imply that snus is the new safer way to smoke, is that entirely true? This is a mixed statement. Research does show that snus is a safer way to smoke because it is not smoked.

The question itself and the claim do not really make any sense when further explored. Any type of product that is not smoked is likely to be less harmful of a product then one that is smoked. Statement like that made by tobacco companies are a cheap way to cover up the damage that has been done already by the tobacco industry. Further exploration of the statement would reveal that not smoking something will always be less harmful then not smoking something. The real question that should be explored is whether or not the chemicals in the snus are as harmful as the chemicals in traditional forms of smoking.

Snus may be safer to the respiratory system since it is not directly inhaled but snus is reportedly just as harmful to other areas of the body and does pose devastating health risks like that of cigarettes. Snus is harmful to the digestive, cardiovascular and metabolic systems in the human body. A study conducted by Roth Associates Inc, shows that snus does have less risks then smoking but is still harmful. This study supports the statement that snus is less harmful then smoking. Although the product is less harmful it can still be damaging.

Chemicals in snus are damaging and increase high blood pressure. An increase in high blood pressure leads to cardiac arrest, stroke and an increase in heart