Cigarette companies say their new smokeless-tobacco products offer an alternative to smokers when they can't light up, but critics say the companies are just looking for another market to exploit and that the products will appeal to those who are not currently tobacco users.

The New York Times reported Aug. 9 that cigarette makers Philip Morris USA (Taboka) and R.J. Reynolds (Camel Snus) are both testing out smokeless-tobacco products. While the companies are not saying that smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes, they are pitching the products as an alternative -- even though U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona has stated, "smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes."

New "snus" products being tested by the two cigarette companies and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco (Skoal Dry) sell for $3-7 and package powdered tobacco in a pouch designed to be placed between the lip and gum. Unlike chewing tobacco, they don't cause users to spit.

Another new product, called Blue Whale, is a mix of black tea and nicotine extract. Ironically, because Blue Whale is not a tobacco product it is subject to FDA oversight and could be banned. "While nicotine does not cause most tobacco-related disease, if it's delivered in high doses, it can cause significant health harms," noted Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Bottom line, nicotine is a substance that is not approved by the federal government for use in any food products."

Bonnie Herzog, a tobacco-industry analyst for Citigroup, said that the smokeless products "are another way for cigarette manufacturers to diversify the mix and improve their margins." But health officials worry that the new products could encourage previous abstainers to begin using tobacco.

Mitch Zeller, former head of the FDA's tobacco office, said that ads for Camel Snus appear intended to get young men to start using smokeless tobacco. "That's not harm reduction, that's harm creation," he said.