Child Nicotine Poisoning Study Is Setback for Reynolds

A product that seems like a panacea for the tobacco industry could poison children who mistake it for candy.

That's the word from Harvard researchers, and it's not good news for Reynolds American Inc., which is trying to brace itself for a day when very few Americans can or want to smoke its cigarettes.

Smoking bans, higher taxes, limits on marketing and overall general health concerns are contributing to lower cigarette sales for Reynolds' Camel, Winston and other brands. That's why Reynolds and rivals such as market leader Altria Group (Marlboro) are investing in smokeless products like snuff.

The market for smokeless tobacco products is more than $5 billion and growing in the U.S. One of Reynolds' biggest innovations, being tested now in some markets, is Camel Orbs, little nicotine pellets that look like breath mints and dissolve in the mouth.

The trouble is Harvard folks say these pellets look like candy and could lead to accidental nicotine poisoning in children.

"This product is called a 'tobacco' product, but in the eyes of a 4-year-old, the pellets look more like candy than a regular cigarette. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and to make it look like a piece of candy is recklessly playing with the health of children," says Gregory Connolly, lead author of the study and director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health.

That can't be food for public perception or help Reynolds as the Food and Drug Administration vows to crack down on any tobacco product that appeals to children. We're decades away from the days when candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars for kids were widely sold.