Think Progress

Burr Defends Mint-Flavored Suckable ‘Tobacco Lollipops,’ Claims They’re Not Being Marketed To Children

On May 27, CNN’s Carol Costello reported on tobacco company R.J. Reynolds new dissolvable “smokeless products.” Noting that critics call them “tobacco lollipops” that are aimed at getting “kids hooked on nicotine,” Costello reported that “R.J. Reynolds will soon test three new products — Camel sticks that dissolve as you suck them, minty tobacco strips that look like breath strips, and orbs — flavored, dissolvable tablets that some say look and taste exactly like candy.”

On the Senate floor yesterday, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) came to the tobacco company’s defense, claiming that it wasn’t trying to deceive anyone; it’s CNN’s fault for labeling Camel Orbs as candy. Burr charged that CNN “mischaracterized the product” because “it’s not candy flavored”:

BURR: But when CNN did their story. Take a guess on the angle that they took. They labeled it as candy. Candy! Even though it’s not candy flavored. They said it was candy. … No, they said it was candy. That’s where they labeled it. … They portrayed Reynolds America as being deceptive and luring children. No candy. It’s not going in the candy section. It’s in the tobacco section where smokeless and stick products is.

Later in his speech, Burr responded to Sen. Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) criticism that some of the dissolvable tobacco products are in containers shaped like cell phones to attract kids. “Let me assure you, Mr. President, if a cell phone doesn’t work, children don’t want it,” said Burr. Watch it:

While Burr might claim that the Orbs aren’t “candy-flavored,” the fact is that they come in “mint and cinnamon flavors” known as “fresh” and “mellow.” Additionally, the tobacco industry has a well-documented history of using flavored tobacco to market their products to children:

Documents from the tobacco industry also contradict these claims. A report from R.J. Reynolds in 1985 stated: “Sweetness can impart a different delivery taste dimension, which younger adult smokers may be receptive to, as evidenced by their taste wants in other product areas.” A Brown & Williamson report from 1972 suggested consideration of developing cola-flavored and apple-flavored cigarettes. The report also suggested a sweet-flavored cigarette and stated: “It’s a well-known fact that teenagers like sweet products. Honey might be considered.” If flavored products were appealing to youth then, what has changed to make them less appealing to youth now?

Burr’s speech today follows his earlier claims that regulating tobacco by the FDA would contradict the agency’s mission to protect public health since there is no healthy way to use tobacco. Burr, whose hometown Winston-Salem is also the home of R.J. Reynolds, is the second-highest recipient of campaign contributions from Big Tobacco.

Ben Bergmann



81 Responses to “Burr Defends Mint-Flavored Suckable ‘Tobacco Lollipops,’ Claims They’re Not Being Marketed To Children”

  1. Art says:

    It’s difficult to defend the indefensible.


  2. lokidog says:

    I remember an old Simpsons episode where the tobacco companies started growing nicotine tomatoes to increase the pool of customers/addicts.

    A f***ing cartoon has now become real life.

    Only in America.


  3. SKdeAnt says:

    Hey kids! Be the first on your block with cancer!


  4. Zooey says:

    I think I’ll send a case of those lollipops to Burr’s kids.


  5. ElBruce says:

    I’ve been trying to quit smoking all year. If those things satisfied my cravings, I might consider it.

    But I wonder – what flavors wouldn’t be considered targeting kids? Bourbon? I can’t imagine what the alternative suggestion is for this.


  6. PissedOffVeteran says:

    I wonder how much this asshat sold his soul for


  7. Perry logan says:

    Give greed a chance.

    Swine!


  8. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    .

    Congress: Not only do they take the Americans as suckers…
    … Some members think pushing their highly addictive suckers are good for America, too.

    .


  9. MCMetal says:

    BURR: But when CNN did their story. Take a guess on the angle that they took. They labeled it as candy. Candy! Even though it’s not candy flavored. They said it was candy. … No, they said it was candy. That’s where they labeled it. … They portrayed Reynolds America as being deceptive and luring children. No candy. It’s not going in the candy section. It’s in the tobacco section where smokeless and stick products is.

    Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added.

    “Product placement” isn’t the determining factor of a substance’s make-up , you typically ignorant GOP tool………


  10. ElBruce says:

    Maybe they should consider tobacco pacifiers…


  11. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    .

    Tabaco suckers = not candy
    Water torture = not inhumane
    War of aggression = not war crime
    Warrantless wiretapping = not unconstitutional
    Lying to Congress = not recalling facts
    Mobile bio-chem weapons = not viles of Freedom Agenda

    .


  12. Megaloptera McWars says:

    Thank GOODNESS N.C. is turning blue; a real possibility exists that Burr is vulnerable in 2010. The backwoods republicans in this state can no longer latch onto Jesse Helms.


  13. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    .

    … And Joe the Camel wasn’t marketed at kids, either?

    .


  14. DRxJapanese Beetle says:

    Candy flavored tobacco?
    AWESOME!!!

    I’ve got another great idea to get our kids addicted, thus guaranteeing a life long consumer:
    Lemonade flavored malt beverages!
    Think about it! Hardly any alcohol taste, but accompanied with the buzz! Kids will go crazy over this!!

    (What? It’s already be done? Never mind!)


  15. tombaker says:

    Not to sound like a Righty, but,

    should we villify caffeine now, too?

    Crusade against it, maybe?

    ’cause it’s addictive, and it’s marketed to kids.

    When does that start? After the tobacco ban goes into law?


  16. Megaloptera McWars says:

    The approx. 30,000,000 smoking base in this country is dwindling and big tobacco needs a “training program” to shore up the market.

    Burr says that the cell phone shaped container won’t attract kids because “if a cell phone doesn’t work, children don’t want it.” Well, I remember as a child getting a toy razor/shaving cream dispenser, and not only did I want it, I couldn’t wait for the day I started shaving.


  17. Badmoodman says:

    Burr Defends Mint-Flavored Suckable ‘Tobacco Lollipops,’ Claims They’re Not Being Marketed To Children

    – - R.J. Reynolds even has a slogan for their kid-marketed product:

    “There’s a sucker born every minute.”


  18. gummble-bee-itch says:

    Ok, we can’t call it candy. But can we call it a “nicotine delivery system”?


  19. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    tombaker,
    I’m not sure, and please correct me if I’m incorrect, but caffeine isn’t inked to a history of addictive behaviors that lead to cancer and death. Even Nicorette gum is regulated because nicotine is highly addictive substance that is linked to alternate methods of delivery that do lead to unhealthy consequences. Not to mention how second hand coffee aroma isn’t much of a threat to the innocent bystander…


  20. RantingTommy says:

    They think that, because they are allowed to sell the GOP racist, homophobic, fear-based agenda to ignorant rubes, they should be allowed to sell ANY poison.


  21. gummble-bee-itch says:

    ElBruce Says:

    I’ve been trying to quit smoking all year. If those things satisfied my cravings, I might consider it.

    Try hypnosis. Seriously. It’s been 30 years since I had a cigarette and I owe it all to about 30 minutes with an MD. Charged me a wopping $35 (with free refills I never needed).


  22. tombaker says:

    what about second hand nicorette gum aroma?

    is that bad?

    i’m not a tobacco lobbyist, but I am someone who opposes prohibition in almost all forms, and i see the anti-tobacco movement as the twin of the pro-life movement – a mob of do-gooders who will not be satisfied, and who will gleefully move on to the next item on their hit-list as soon as they accomplish their primary objective.


  23. RantingTommy says:

    gummble-bee-itch Says:

    ElBruce Says:

    I’ve been trying to quit smoking all year. If those things satisfied my cravings, I might consider it.

    Try hypnosis. Seriously. It’s been 30 years since I had a cigarette and I owe it all to about 30 minutes with an MD. Charged me a wopping $35 (with free refills I never needed).

    I quit a 10 yr, pack a day habit about a decade ago when I ran out of cigs and didn’t feel like going to the store.

    It helped that I had a couple of ounces of fine cannabis to smoke instead. It was easy to quit the cannabis after the nicotine withdrawal was over.


  24. spencers mom says:

    If and when we have universal healthcare, I truly hope that premiums are based on smokers vs. non-smokers, and that smoking cessation programs are a benefit.

    When I was in high school (late 70s) the tobacco companies were allowed to actually hand out mini packs of cigarettes at school! And this was in PA, not the south.

    PEACE


  25. tombaker says:

    addictive behaviors are the key there Max, not so much the objects of those addictive behaviors. that’s why this-or-that flavor of regulation and prohibition never solve the problems they intend to address.


  26. deebaser says:

    This is hilarious. It couldn’t be funnier if Joe Camel was tying a little girl to train tracks with an ACME super strong flexible cigarette and she had to smoke her way to freedom.


  27. gummble-bee-itch says:

    tombaker Says:

    i’m not a tobacco lobbyist, but I am someone who opposes prohibition in almost all forms, and i see the anti-tobacco movement as the twin of the pro-life movement – a mob of do-gooders who will not be satisfied, and who will gleefully move on to the next item on their hit-list as soon as they accomplish their primary objective.

    I may have missed something, but I don’t see anyone proposing prohibition. For adults.


  28. CodeoftheWes says:

    So if it’s really not candy then why don’t they leave out the sugar and make them taste like straight tobacco? Oh that’s right tobacco tastes like crap.


  29. Luis Chapulin M says:

    Max Anax junius -1 Says:
    Not to mention how second hand coffee aroma isn’t much of a threat to the innocent bystander…

    Sez you! I nearly got mugged at the office for walking to my desk with the last cup of coffee available. For us programmers, coffee is like blood. Just more important so.

    /tastes better, too.


  30. delafield says:

    Republicans don’t care about human life. Republicans only value the fetus inside the womb.

    Once the fetus leaves the womb and becomes a human being, its only value to Republicans is as a unit of production to Corporate America or as a soldier to defend and protect America’s Corporate interests.


  31. pastcaring says:

    This whole thing is just wrong…would you really suck on something called Camel Orbs?..whoever does the marketing should get fired…

    :|


  32. RantingTommy says:

    delafield Says:

    Republicans don’t care about human life. Republicans only value the fetus inside the womb.

    Once the fetus leaves the womb and becomes a human being, its only value to Republicans is as a unit of production to Corporate America or as a soldier to defend and protect America’s Corporate interests.

    and they only value the fetus as a punishment for sex and as a political tool to drag along the gullible holy rollers


  33. Zooey says:

    tombaker Says:

    what about second hand nicorette gum aroma?

    is that bad?

    i’m not a tobacco lobbyist, but I am someone who opposes prohibition in almost all forms, and i see the anti-tobacco movement as the twin of the pro-life movement – a mob of do-gooders who will not be satisfied, and who will gleefully move on to the next item on their hit-list as soon as they accomplish their primary objective.
    June 5th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    I read this post as an objection to marketing this crap to kids — not prohibition.


  34. pastcaring says:

    ‘Fresh & Mellow’ Camel Orbs?…tobacco should be run out of business…merchants of disease and perversion I say!!!…


  35. deebaser says:

    spencers mom Says:

    If and when we have universal healthcare, I truly hope that premiums are based on smokers vs. non-smokers, and that smoking cessation programs are a benefit.

    I STRONGLY disagree with this. Smokers already pay 100%+ taxes on cigarettes and this simply opens the door to medical underwriting of other ‘risky’ behaviors.


  36. Zimzone says:

    Mt. Rushbo likes sucking on Dominican lollipops.

    Can anything squelch his craving?


  37. sscncturn64 says:

    Im smoking a ciggarette right now. Its a disgusting and nasty habit. I will either quit one day (doubtful) or its going to kill me. R.J. Reynolds knows that, they need more smokers so they can keep making their billions. They dont give a sht who gets addicted. I wonder if Reynolds is one of Burrs contributors.


  38. RantingTommy says:

    you think the drug war is bad? try outlawing cigarettes

    when nicotine addicts join heroin addicts having to steal to support their addiction, crime will skyrocket and our civilization will crumble

    that being said, this article is not about prohibition, it’s about marketing to children


  39. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    tombaker,
    As a former smoker of 22 years, I can tell you that the history of nicotine and caffeine is much, much different. Caffeine does not have a history of cancer and death.

    Now, as a former smoker, I will not advocate taking some one’s ability to engage in activities that are self destructive and highly addictive, but I will support it’s regulation. Like Nicorette gum, and other delivery devises, this sucker should be regulated and NOT marketed to kids and teens as it is tied with alternate delivery systems that do lead to disease and death.

    To date, I have yet to see a delivery system for caffeine that kills.

    .


  40. deebaser says:

    sscncturn64 Says:

    Im smoking a ciggarette right now. Its a disgusting and nasty habit. I will either quit one day (doubtful) or its going to kill me. R.J. Reynolds knows that, they need more smokers so they can keep making their billions. They dont give a sht who gets addicted.

    Just quit. It’s that easy. Life will suck for a week (Think that scene from trainspoting), but you’ll feel better in the end.


  41. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    Luis Chapulin M,
    LOL. Just wait till the coffee maker breaks…
    … All hell breaks loose.

    .


  42. Buckie Boy says:

    Well, he is from North Carolina, where they think Tobacco is a healthy vegetable like spinach.

    ReichWing logic in action.

    Fcuk the Republic Fascist Party


  43. aliceinreality says:

    Personally, I was kind of excited when I saw this. My boyfriend has vowed never to stop using nicotine because of its enhancement of his coding and problem solving abilities on his job. As a non-smoker and someone who has watched two grandparents die from their smoking habits, I would greatly appreciate ANY way for him to get his dose without also inhaling carcinogens or any smoke at all really.

    I do recognize that some of their methods of sale would attract kids, but there are laws against the sale of tobacco to minors, so to act like kids will be snatching up Camel-brand tobacco candy is more than a little alarmist.

    Lastly, I agree with the commenter who said that he or she disagrees with bans like the wanted tobacco ban. People should be able to ingest whatever they like, and anything dangerous should be unavailable to minors.

    Done, and done.


  44. sscncturn64 says:

    Congrats deebaser, it only sucked for one week?


  45. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    tombaker Says:
    addictive behaviors are the key there Max, not so much the objects of those addictive behaviors.

    While one may not be able to change addictive behaviors, ie. “thrill seakers”, one CAN influence how one partakes IN that behavior, NO?


  46. Luis Chapulin M says:

    Max Anax junius -1 Says:
    Luis Chapulin M,
    LOL. Just wait till the coffee maker breaks…
    … All hell breaks loose.

    It did. Productivity must have plummeted 30% after that, but was quickly recovered by our bosses blocking YouTube and Facebook. We’re currently having coffee prepared in a coffee maker of my own. As any married guy will tell you, almost 20% of all wedding gifts are coffee makers.

    On a more related topic, I wondering which substance causes more lost time at jobs: caffeine or nicotine? Coffee breaks or smoking breaks?


  47. Doodlebug Shayne says:

    They want to make lollipops a gateway drug. If it kills you and a big corporation makes money, no problem. Can’t legalize marijuana though. Sure it saves lives among the very ill but only brown people make money. Throw them all in jail.


  48. ElBruce says:

    tombaker Says:

    Not to sound like a Righty, but,

    should we villify caffeine now, too?

    I can quit coffee any time. I do, often. I might get a headache for a day, but that’s about it. But when it comes to cigarettes, I find myself repeatedly engaging in “junkie behavior.”

    .

    Megaloptera McWars Says:

    Thank GOODNESS N.C. is turning blue; a real possibility exists that Burr is vulnerable in 2010. The backwoods republicans in this state can no longer latch onto Jesse Helms.

    Save up a few bucks and bookmark this link: http://www.actblue.com

    .

    pastcaring Says:

    This whole thing is just wrong…would you really suck on something called Camel Orbs?

    Maybe they should call them “Camel Balls.” I bet the Saudis would be laughing their asses off at us.

    .

    deebaser Says:

    Just quit. It’s that easy. Life will suck for a week (Think that scene from trainspoting), but you’ll feel better in the end.

    I’ve quit for a couple of weeks to a couple of months, multiple times in the past two years. Think of all the other crap they did in Trainspotting and you start to get the idea.


  49. RantingTommy says:

    Dr. Hussein Matt Says:

    RantingTommy Says:
    you think the drug war is bad? try outlawing cigarettes
    when nicotine addicts join heroin addicts having to steal to support their addiction, crime will skyrocket and our civilization will crumble

    Pffft, you’ll have some cranky people for about a week or so, but once they realize they actually feel better, can taste their food, sleep better, and breathe better their little hissy fit will subside.

    not true

    I admit that it is not that hard to quit, but neither is heroin by comparison

    there will still be a demand, which means there will be a supply, and if it is outlawed, the criminals will control the supply, just like with illegal drugs

    ANY drug can be made worse by outlawing it and turning control of production and sales to criminals


  50. Fred says:

    deebaser Says:

    Just quit. It’s that easy.

    It is, I’ve done it dozens of times.


  51. delafield says:

    Cigarettes are $15 per pack in Canada. That’s one of the ways Canadians pay for their Universal Health Care System. As an ex-three pack per day-smoker, I think America should tax the hell out of cigarettes and alcohol, just like the Canadians do.

    I never hear Canadians complain about the tax on cigarettes or alcohol. And I never hear them complain about their Health Care System.


  52. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    Luis Chapulin M,
    Smoke breaks kill productivity. I can drink my coffee at my desk, on the phone, closing deals and none care. I don’t have to go outside to enjoy my brew.


  53. Doodlebug Shayne says:

    deebaser Says:

    spencers mom Says:

    If and when we have universal healthcare, I truly hope that premiums are based on smokers vs. non-smokers, and that smoking cessation programs are a benefit.

    I STRONGLY disagree with this. Smokers already pay 100%+ taxes on cigarettes and this simply opens the door to medical underwriting of other ‘risky’ behaviors.

    Smokers already pay more money for health insurance and life insurance. That’s why we stayed in the union and gave union benefits to employess. A smaller group with two employees that smoked was going to kill us.


  54. Mathazar says:

    Since Burr has claimed “there is no healthy way to use tobacco “, shouldn’t he be trying to take it off the market ?


  55. Max Anax junius -1 says:

    ElBruce,
    “Camel Balls”

    ROFLMAO…
    … Nicotine bagged.


  56. RantingTommy says:

    Mathazar Says:

    Since Burr has claimed “there is no healthy way to use tobacco “, shouldn’t he be trying to take it off the market ?

    There is no healthy way to use a Bic Mac or a Whopper either, but outlawing them is not the answer, education is.


  57. Zooey says:

    sscncturn64 Says:

    Im smoking a ciggarette right now. Its a disgusting and nasty habit. I will either quit one day (doubtful) or its going to kill me.
    June 5th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I hope you quit, and soon. It won’t be easy, but make sure you replace the habit with something else, like sugar free pop.

    I watched my mother die gasping from smoking-related disease, and it was horrifying. I’ll never get it out of my mind.


  58. deebaser says:

    sscncturn64 Says:

    Congrats deebaser, it only sucked for one week?

    Truth. It’s just a week of wanting to murder everyone that has the goddamned nerve to come within 5 feet of you. After that it goes from something you “NEED” to something you “miss”. Eventually, you can even transition into that jerk that only smokes when he drinks (but doesnt buy a pack…ever).

    It’s all willpower man, but then again this is just my personal experience. I was a bio C student in High School.


  59. Fred says:

    If we had a real health care system smokers would not be treated like lepers and tobacco would eventually be non-existant.

    The French with the best health care in the world are smokers but they are weighing the cost now.

    Still they don’t want to go at it the way America has because it has been counter productive.

    Many people in France regard the new furor over smoking warily, having read horror stories about the antismoking hostilities in America, which are reported gleefully in French magazines and newspapers. The conflict in the United States is sometimes portrayed as a form of civil war. Journalists tell of fights, and write about smokers being made to feel like outlaws, or being ostracized in business.

    The effect of having a legal substance and at the same time declaring war on those who use it legally is typical of a health care sytem that is failing it’s citizens.


  60. Doodlebug Shayne says:

    Anyhoo all I see it is a way for kids to swipe things from parents to cop a buzz. According to the kids at my house pill swiping is is the most popular way for young kids to get high. The other problem I can see is these “candies” getting in the hands of toddlers (accidentally) and causing some real overdose problems.


  61. MCMetal says:

    I’ve been a cigarette smoker since the age of 18 ; there should be a MUCH HIGHER insurance rate for those like myself (even though I do not have nor display any smoker-related symptoms).

    That being said , marketing products to lure children is the height of irresponsibility and is just plain despicable and reprehensible……….


  62. Megaloptera McWars says:

    Thanks for the link, Elbruce. It will come in handy.


  63. Fred says:

    Dr. Hussein Matt Says:
    In moderation, Big Mac and Whoppers are perfectly fine for you and have no adverse effects.

    Matt, I don’t want to get crossways with you but these kids are not eating the junk food in moderation. We have an obesity problem that may be greater than the smoking problem in this country.

    My son’s girlfriend, god bless her. Has started gaining weight since she left home for school and we try to get her to eat a healthy meal here at the house before she leaves with the other kids to do something but they would rather stop at mcdonalds……she also quit smoking.

    It’s not just one problem, it’s all tied in together.

    If all they are eating is fast food it is just as bad for their health as smoking is all I’m saying. There is no moderation where young people are concerned.


  64. deebaser says:

    Doodlebug Shayne Says:

    Smokers already pay more money for health insurance and life insurance. That’s why we stayed in the union and gave union benefits to employess. A smaller group with two employees that smoked was going to kill us.

    In some states this is true, but in many the state prevents that type of medical underwriting for health insurance. Back in the ‘08 campaign the biggest thing that scared teh crap out of me regarding McCain’s health care “Plan” was he basically wanted to circumvent state sovereignty by allowing people to buy health insurance accross state lines, which would have been miserable.

    Just like how all the credit card companies are in Wilmington, DE… your health insurance company would set up shop in the least consumer friendly city in the US.

    I don’t pretend to know diddles about life insurance though. Having worked at Northwestern Mutual in their Health Insurance department, Life insurance salesmen all strike me as creepy shysty scam artists.


  65. jimmy654 says:

    Come on people! Isnt this the USA?? Smokers have been discrimanated against in the recent years then any other group of people (in the last few years). Its hard to find a place to smoke and if they have other things that will not give you all the tar, 2nd hand smoke that will take the cravings away, then whats the problem? Parents, do your job!!! Plus, they are referencing a comment from 1972??? WTF!!


  66. Zooey says:

    jimmy654 Says:
    June 5th, 2009 at 3:20 pm

    Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

    This post is about tobacco “candy” blatantly being marketed to children, not about banning it completely.


  67. dbadass says:

    Smoking is so cool. It makes you one of the cool kids….

    Weird. I can not name a single friend, family member, or professional colleague that smokes. Afterall it is 2009…No wonder they have to recruit…


  68. Theres'Ant says:

    #20 wrote: “Not to mention how second hand coffee aroma isn’t much of a threat to the innocent bystander…”

    I don’t know about that. You ever been down wind of someone drinking an old cup-o-french vanilla or hazelnut?


  69. gummble-bee-itch says:

    dbadass Says:

    Smoking is so cool. It makes you one of the cool kids….

    Weird. I can not name a single friend, family member, or professional colleague that smokes. Afterall it is 2009…No wonder they have to recruit…

    My stepdaughter and most of her friends are smokers. My son, thank FSM, never has been but a lot of his friends (college age) smoke. Two guys who work for me smoke and neither of them entertains the idea of quitting.


  70. dbadass says:

    Most college age kids do it for the same reason as the middle schoolers and high schoolers. In my experience they leave it behind after they enter the adult years…


  71. MapleStreet says:

    Not marketed to kids – do you mean like the cool pictures of Joe Camel ?

    Not marketed to kids – and I’m sure no kid will see the commercial ?

    Not marketed to kids – and no kid seeing the commercial will think to avail themselves of this product ?


  72. wiley says:

    I am aware that the topic is marketing to children, but want to say a few things about nicotine.

    Well I’m smoking now. I had quit for nearly two years and started smoking again last year. I’ve quit for a year. I’ve quit for six weeks, and three months more times than I count.(I used to list quitting smoking, dying my hair, and changing addresses as “hobbies”.) The relative ease or difficulty of quitting was different each time, and I’ve used most methods. I won’t use the lollipop because I think it’s a terrible idea for the reasons that have been pointed out here.

    Smoking is a nasty, dangerous habit. No argument there. But nicotine is a phenomenal drug. It is the only drug that is both a stimulant and a depressant. From a pharmaceutical point of view, it is a very useful drug in many ways. There is a reason why smoking is more prevalent among people who suffer with depression and mental illness. The last time I started smoking again I was in excruciating psychological agony, and quite frankly suffering from the effects of drugs I had been prescribed.

    For the smoker, smoking can be the lesser of two evils.


  73. ttarleton says:

    Burr is a fool and a corporate tool. I live in NC and I can’t wait to boot his sorry ass out of office like we did with Ms. Dole.


  74. Old Uncle Dave says:

    Why are so many people freaking out mint flavored nicotine lozenges? Nicotine chewing gum has been around for some time and nobody claims kids are getting hooked on it.


  75. wiley says:

    It’s not freaking out, is it?


  76. ElBruce says:

    Dr. Hussein Matt Says:

    RantingTommy Says:

    There is no healthy way to use a Bic Mac or a Whopper either, b

    Weak, weak, WEAK comparison. Quit defending tobacco, you look fing stupid. Cigarettes when taken as prescribed will kill you. Fact. Cigarettes are carcinogenic. Fact. Neither can be said for hamburgers and hamburgers do not even have nearly the addictive characteristics of cigarettes. You look like a reich-winger comparing abortion to murder.

    Actually, your post strike me as analogous to the anti-abortion (aka. pro-criminalizing-abortion) argument. There must be better answers than criminalizing behavior for something that has inflexible demand.



  77. Jerimee says:

    I wonder if Burr’s support of our state’s tobacco interests influences people’s perceptions of his stance on healthcare issues:

    http://gradeburr.com/rating/richard-burr-healthcare


  78. e_to_the_pOTATO BUG says:

    my 2cents. I’m 26 now, started smoking at age 11, quit at age 19 and havent looked back since. Doesn’t matter who they market it to, or what shape its in, kids will get ahold of nicotine, I certainly had no problem. Trust me, the manufacturers dont need any help. Especially not from senate.

    BURR: They labeled it as candy. Candy! Even though it’s not candy flavored. They said it was candy.

    They labeled it as a president. President! Even though it’s a turd. In 2000 They said it was a president.



  79. Sesli chat says:

    I knew he would still be wallpapering this thread. I take the Holocaust seriously enough not to wear it out. I am not nor have I ever been anti-semitic. I’m agnostic. Why in the world would I be anti-semitic? The assertion that I would “forget” or approve of any persecution and systematic murder is anti-social.



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