New chewing tobacco worries researchers

NEW YORK, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Some experts see Camel Snus, the new smokeless tobacco on the U.S. market, as possibly both carcinogenic and highly addictive, officials say.

Snus packs a solid nicotine punch which researchers say is well above the amount in other popular chewing tobacco products. It comes in three flavors and does not have to be spit out, ostensibly expanding the places one can chew.

Snus contains eight milligrams in each single dose pouch, a spokesman for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company told The New York Times.

Chewing tobacco regularly increases the risk of developing oral cancer. Additionally, recent studies link heavy use with increased odds of developing pancreatic cancer.

The European Union banned sales of an earlier version of Snus in 1992 after a World Health Organization study determined it could cause cancer. Snus is still sold in Sweden, where it originated, and in Norway.