Camel Orbs Smokeless Tobacco Pellets Pose Risk to Children Who Think It Is Candy

In 2009, a poison control center in Portland, Oregon, reported a case in which a three-year old ingested a Camel Orbs pellet. Camel Orbs is a new brand of smokeless tobacco introduced by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and intended as a temporary form of nicotine for smokers in settings where smoking is banned.

In another incident in 2009, a police chief in Talent, Oregon, 280 miles south of Portland, found a group of teenagers sharing Camel Orbs taken from one of their older brothers.

More recently, researchers have warned that Camel Orbs poses a threat to children due to its resemblance to candy. Specifically, the product contains cinnamon or mint flavored dissolvable pellets of tobacco that resemble Tic Tac mints, and sold in similar packaging. Curious children are thus tempted to try the product. And because the product is quick-absorbing, it is more toxic when ingested. Each pellet contains 1 mg of nicotine, sufficient to induce nausea and vomiting in a small child.

Update: The Food and Drug Administration has announced a study of dissovlable tobacco products.

About the Author

Tom D'Amore is the founder of D'Amore Law Group and a trial attorney with over 30 years of experience representing injured people and their families across the West Coast, securing more than $325 million in recoveries. He handles cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, construction injuries, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California, Tom is the only NBTA board-certified truck accident attorney in Oregon. He is a national Board of Governors member, past Executive Committee member, and past Budget and Audit Chair of the American Association for Justice, as well as past President of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association and an Eagle member of the Washington State Association for Justice.