By Jeff Stier, Esq.
Posted: Wednesday, September 27, 2006

LETTER
Publication Date: September 27, 2006

This letter appeared September 27, 2006 in the Wall Street Journal:

Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society (ACS) may be correct in predicting that widespread use of smokeless tobacco as a means of helping people quit smoking might have the unintended effect of increasing overall tobacco use ("Should Snuff Be Used as a Tool to Quit Smoking?" page one, Sept. 16) Yet he is unimpressed by the fact that use of smokeless tobacco is significantly less harmful than use of cigarettes in every category, including oral cancer.

Anti-tobacco advocates have a hard time accepting any increase in the overall use of tobacco. But public health advocates should use a different measuring stick: net health effects. If we could reduce tobacco related illness at the cost of increasing tobacco use, I'm all for it.

Jeff Stier
Associate Director
American Council on Science and Health
New York


Note: ACSH will release a full report on the use of smokeless tobacco for harm reduction this fall.