Colorado Health Officials Call for Hearing on Dissolvable Tobacco Products

Health officials in Colorado have called for a hearing on new dissolvable tobacco products being tested in Denver. They are concerned the products are attractive to children and prevent smokers from quitting.

The new products, made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, are called Camel Orbs, Camel Sticks and Camel Strips. As these products are being tested in Denver, the state has cut tobacco-fighting grants to $5.4 million this year, down from $25 million in 2007, The Denver Post reports.

A “variety pack” of the Camel products sell for $2 to $4. Because the state does not yet treat them as taxable tobacco products, they avoid the 40 percent tobacco tariff. This makes them less expensive than cigarettes. The article notes that while smokeless tobacco products are considered less dangerous than inhaling nicotine and other chemicals, they do increase the risk of heart disease and oral cancers.