Article Spotlight: Tobacco industry use of flavourings to promote smokeless tobacco products

The 2009 US Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act prohibited candy, fruit, alcohol and spice flavors in cigarettes, as flavors make cigarettes easier to smoke and increase youth appeal...but smokeless tobacco was not included in this regulation. The authors analyzed tobacco industry documents related to the development and marketing of flavored smokeless products (including moist snuff, snus, loose leaf and chewing tobacco) in the USA to investigate the use of additives in smokeless tobacco and who the target audiences were for these flavored products.

Kostygina G, Ling PM. Tobacco industry use of flavourings to promote smokeless tobacco products. Tobacco Control 2016 Nov;25 (Suppl 2):ii40-ii49.

• Smokeless products with flavours such as peach, apple, honeydew, strawberry, pineapple, honeysuckle, champagne and prune date back to the 1870s
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/jrpf0146


• Louis F Bantle, then vice president for marketing at US Smokeless Tobacco Co, said in a 1968 marketing meeting: “We must sell the use of tobacco in the mouth and appeal to young people...we hope to start a fad”.
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/hgyh0037


• In 1966, FJ Triest, President of the Fries & Brother Flavour Specialists Company also recognized that sugar additives and flavorings could increase palatability to novices, and stated in tobacco trade press that flavorings such as vanilla, peach, apricot, licorice and cocoa, could act as blinding agents against 'objectionable off-flavours'
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/jmvn0046
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/ynhd0044


• A B&W focus group study demonstrated a linkage between flavors and initiation noting use of flavored brands or 'candy dips' was likened to sucking on a candy or a Lifesaver by experienced users; and was considered to be characteristic of beginners; such 'candy' flavors were 'okay for little kids' but inappropriate for those who wanted a 'full, strong taste' of tobacco
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/hjpw0146


• USST subsequently collaborated with Swedish Tobacco Company in the early 1970s to develop a new mildly flavored product for 'new users, mainly cigarette smokers, age group 15–35'
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/nhch0045


• In addition to controlling nicotine levels, USST used flavors in the graduation strategy, describing two parallel tracks: one using mint-flavored and wintergreen-flavored brands, and one with sweeter, 'fruity' and milder 'natural' brands. USST's starter products generally fit in one of the two flavor categories: mint/wintergreen and natural/sweet flavor (eg, Skoal Bandits Mint and Skoal Bandits Natural)
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/qhff0044


• RJR marketing research suggested that 'candy' brands were more highly flavored and milder than Skoal, and were 'generally designed for the new/novice category user'
  https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/xsmx0096