Study reports little hope, much hazard in new tobacco products

May 10 2005

On May 4, 2005, the University of Minnesota Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center released a groundbreaking report that shows there is no evidence that a relatively new line of tobacco products, called “potentially reduced-exposure tobacco products,” or PREPs, are safer than other tobacco products.

This comprehensive study reviews available scientific research and offers recommendations to protect the public from misconceptions about the safety and risks of using PREPs. It suggests that there is not a tobacco product on the market that will make smoking safer, and that the only safe solution is to quit smoking.

The Problem: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people every year. Smoking generates about $100 billion in health care expenses annually. Given the alarming negative impact of smoking, it is no surprise that many smokers would like to quit. About 41 percent of smokers attempt to quit in a given year, but only 4.7 percent actually quit for three months to a year.

Background: Recognizing that quitting smoking can be difficult, some would argue that one way to reduce the health risks associated with smoking would be to reduce the amount of tobacco toxins that smokers are exposed to when they smoke. With this in mind, the tobacco industry has produced a number of PREPS, claiming that these products reduce the risk of disease related to smoking.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota dispute these tobacco industry assertions. They say that their research finds no scientific evidence to support tobacco industry marketing claims that PREPS reduce disease risk.

Researchers also say that, beyond confusing consumers about health risks, these products have other shortcomings. These include:

• Undermining smokers’ willingness to try and quit smoking because smokers may believe they have a safer way to continue smoking;
• Encouraging non-smokers to start smoking;
• Encouraging former smokers to take up smoking again.

Solutions:  The University of Minnesota researchers offer several suggestions for what is needed to clear up confusion about PREPs. Those suggestions include:

• Establishing government regulation of tobacco products and how they are marketed.
• Providing more accurate information to consumers to help inform decisions about using PREPs.
• Better tracking of the effects of these products after they have been used to determine how harmful they are.
• Conducting more rigorous scientific testing of these products.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked successfully for more than a decade to help reduce tobacco use and exposure and to help smokers quit. The Foundation continues to seek solutions to the health threats from tobacco use and exposure by funding research and programs that evidence shows to be the most effective at reducing tobacco use, including tobacco product price increases, comprehensive clean indoor air policies, programs and coverage to help tobacco users stop smoking, and restrictions on tobacco marketing and product placement, especially targeted to kids.