Consumers and the Allure of “Safer” Tobacco Products: Scientific and Policy Issues

According to the U.S. Surgeon General (2004), cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, causing more than 440,000 premature deaths a year. Given these health risks, the development and marketing of products designed to reduce the harmful e ects of tobacco use should come as no surprise (Kozlowski, 1984). e Institute of Medicine (IDM; 2001) groups these products under the term “potentially reduced-exposure products” (PREPs). PREPs are “tobacco products that have been modi ed or designed in some way to reduce users’ exposure to tobacco toxins. As a marketing tactic, some manufacturers claim that reduced exposure to tobacco toxins may lead to reduced risk of cancer or other health conditions” (Hatsukami & Hecht, 2005, p. 5).