Taboka

From Tobacco Products

Contents 1 Manufacturer 2 Description 3 Claims 4 Product Design Features 5 Images 6 Media 7 Links 8 Publications 9 Industry Documents 10 Links 11 Market Testing 12 Advertising and Selling Messages 13 Promotion 14 Packaging 15 Use and the Consumer 16 Human Use and Exposure 17 Toxicity Analyses 18 Product Chemistry 19 Legal Compliance 20 Community Response 21 Patents 22 Notes

Manufacturer

Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris

Description

Taboka is a pouch tobacco snuff available as regular or menthol. The primary ingredient is tobacco. It is marketed towards those interested in smokeless tobacco alternatives. ^[1]

Claims

• A smoke-free and spit-free tobacco pouch product^[1]

Product Design Features

• Appears engineered with very low levels of free nicotine, to augment rather than replace, cigarette smoking
• Contains pasteurized tobacco, fiber, flavor film materials, water,pouch materials, flavors (including menthol for Taboka Green), sodium carbonate, and sodium chloride
• Low Free Nicotine Content: 0.4 mg/g
• Low Total TSNAs: 1.4 mg/g

Taboka was a smoke-free, spit-free tobacco product marketed towards those interested in smokeless tobacco alternatives. Packaged in individual servings known as Tobaccopaks, Taboka was available in both Original and Taboka Green (menthol) flavors.

Images

Taboka Gallery

Warning Label

Taboka Pouches

Flavor Strip Pouch

Taboka Package

Media

Links

• How to use Snus and other getting started guides.

Publications

• Spit it Out
  

Industry Documents

• Philip Morris Smokeless Q&A's
  
• Taboka Store Franchise and Trademark
  
• Philip Morris USA Summarizes Effects of Snuff
  

Links

• Smokeless tobacco manufacturers in the USA
  
• Health Effects of SLT, Cigarette Smoking, and New Tobacco Products (ANTS3)
  
• Philip Morris USA Launches Test Market of a New Smoke-Free, Spit-Free Tobacco Product
  
• Philip Morris to Test Smokeless, Spit-Free Product
  

Market Testing

• July 2006-2007: Indianapolis, IN (more than 2000 retail stores)
• Created as part of a Philip Morris “adjacency growth strategy”

Advertising and Selling Messages

• Retail brochures, direct mail, new retail signage
• Sold on cigarette rack with a slide door, resembling slidepak

Promotion

Free coupons for Taboka were given to purchasers of Marlboro. Advertising materials have been heavily used at POS. Sales in test market were poor, and this product appears to have been developed as a precursor to Marlboro Snus. (See pages 61-62).

Packaging

• Sleek SlidePak feature, packs slide open
• Each carton contained five packages and an onsert
• In test market, each package contained 12 pouches (Tobaccopaks)
• Pouches hermetically sealed in each pack to preserve flavor
• Two versions: Original and Taboka Green (menthol)

The onsert attached to each Taboka package featured catchy product advertising, with slogans stating ,“Step away from the LIGHTER,” and “Tuck a Taboka Instead… and discover a new way to enjoy tobacco! The Taboka Tobaccopak is the smoke-free, spit-free way to enjoy tobacco almost anywhere, anytime.” The onsert also included Surgeon General’s warnings, as well as product usage instructions “Tuck one in your cheek, don’t chew. Please dispose in a proper receptacle.”^[1]

Use and the Consumer

• Instructions from manufacturer
• Tuck pouch into cheek
• Does not need to be refrigerated
• Lasts twice as long as a cigarette

Human Use and Exposure

• Human exposure: not yet conducted or not available

Toxicity Analyses

• Ames method in vitro: not yet conducted or not available
• In vivo MSP: not yet conducted or not available
• Animal exposure: not yet conducted or not available

Product Chemistry

Analyses conducted for the Harvard School of Public Health, found that both nicotine content and total TSNAs were lower than that of other snus brands. The free nicotine content of Taboka was 0.40 mg/g compared to the 12.3 mg/g average of five non-PREP moist snuff brands produced by Conwood/RAI). Low nicotine levels have raised concerns about the capacity for Taboka to support nicotine dependence without cigarette use, and thus, may promote dual tobacco use. Total TSNAs were 1.4 mg/g (compared to the 23.7 mg/g average of five non-PREP moist snuff brands produced by Conwood/RAI).^[1]

Legal Compliance

• Surgeon General warnings
• No sales to minors
• Subject to State and Federal cigarette taxes

Community Response

• Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids released a report on smokeless tobacco products and addressed concern over several new tobacco products. Due to their novelty, the misconception that they are

safe, and because they can be consumed inconspicuously, TFK feared these products may lure kids.

Patents

Notes