June 22 - No more swag...

[danielan]

So, I was reading the FDA's website. Because, really what else do you do on a Sunday night?

Apparently, tobacco-related swag is illegal to distribute on 22 June 2010...

It looks like bonus programs offering non-tobacco gifts are also prohibited. So, if you're holding out for that Swedish Snus book - you better fire fast!

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/P.../ucm204589.htm

Note to vendors: I can safely dispose of any remaining swag in the US - please ship it to me prior to 22 June.

[chadizzy1]

There's going to be ways to work around this, I'm sure.

Like people who can't resale tickets - they sell a paperclip for 59.99 and say "free tickets with paperclip purchase" and I'm sure there will be around it.

[GoVegan]

This is only the beginning. No big deal for me but I am sure that flavored snus will be the next target.

[lxskllr]

I feel more free with each passing day....

[danielan]

Yea, it will be interesting to see what happens with menthol. If the FDA can stamp out menthol, then flavored snus/dip is in trouble.

On the other hand, the SnusX approach seems a bit more resistant to banning.

[danielan]

And really, the writing is on the wall for menthol.

They are required to determine if menthol is disproportionately affecting minorities. This is step 1. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6347951.shtml)

Step 2 is determining that menthol is attractive to children and minorities. Use = harm.

Step 3 is banning menthol, not only "for the children" but as a civil rights imperative.

This will probably happen in 2012 - 2013.

The flavored smokeless ban IMO, by 2015.

[Experimental Monkey]

Just a question here - would General be considered a "flavored" smokeless product? If not, I'm all good. All I really care for is it and Ettan, and I know Ettan would be safe.

[danielan]

I think so.

Even worse, bergamot is a fruit, so General is one of those kid-killing fruit flavored tobaccos.

[lxskllr]

Just a question here - would General be considered a "flavored" smokeless product? If not, I'm all good. All I really care for is it and Ettan, and I know Ettan would be safe.

That's the tricky part. Every snus is flavored. Lets say they ban mint, and fruit flavored tobacco. Mint's pretty obvious, but how about fruit? General has bergamot, as do all the classic Swedish snuses. What about Ettan and Grov? they have flavoring, and I believe one of them is hazelnut. Nut flavor may fly under the radar, but it depends on how big a dick the FDA wants to be, and I think they're going for the biggest dick contest.

[sgreger1]

Thank God our fearless leaders have liberated us from the blight that is tobacco swag. Good god does America just want to skip all the formalities and just close down all the business already ? Is that the goal here? Take away anything people might enjoy and then make sure no company is ever free to do business?

[Experimental Monkey]

Well Democrats, thanks a ton for all you do for our nation... /end sarcasm. Good ole' G.W. Bush never would've let all of this shit fly.

[chadizzy1]

Well Democrats, thanks a ton for all you do for our nation... /end sarcasm. Good ole' G.W. Bush never would've let all of this shit fly.

That's the tricky part. Every snus is flavored. Lets say they ban mint, and fruit flavored tobacco. Mint's pretty obvious, but how about fruit? General has bergamot, as do all the classic Swedish snuses. What about Ettan and Grov? they have flavoring, and I believe one of them is hazelnut. Nut flavor may fly under the radar, but it depends on how big a dick the FDA wants to be, and I think they're going for the biggest dick contest.

Also - keep in mind, snus is still being looked into by the FDA's Risk Assessment Committee, and it may get the FDA reduced risk label. I'm sure there's a 0.05% chance of that happening, but I also want to think it's 50/50 for snus being the harshest to be judged when it comes to tobacco. But then again, I didn't think PACT would pass either.

[Darwin]

Sadly I have zero confidence that the FDA will do anything but continue to smear all smokeless as evil and obstruct its sales in whatever ways they can. Carving out an exception for snus would of course be the right thing to do but would be fraught with severe political difficulties for them as such an act would promptly inflame the permanent standing army of clueless and noisy anti-tobacco zealots. Politics almost always trumps science.

[PipenSnus]

I don't remember who said it, but this quote sums it up: "Anyone who loves sausage and respects the law should never watch either one being made." If you expect rationality from politicians, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. Doesn't matter which party is in the White House or controls Congress -- the marching orders still come from Wall Street.

[WickedKitchen]

I don't really think they'll be able to enforce much of this anyhow. Just look at the file sharing "problem".