A recently launched ad campaign from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. suggests that consumers who are looking to quit smoking try its smokeless tobacco pouches, or snus, as a potentially helpful alternative that can help them break their smoking habit without giving up the pleasure of tobacco consumption.

Ads in widely circulated national consumer publications such as Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, Time and US Weekly, as well as free and alternative publications, began running this month. The ads suggest that snus can help with smoking cessation while also offering the side benefits of letting users enjoy tobacco without smoking, spitting, the social pressure that can accompany smoking or chewing tobacco in places where such activities are completely banned or heavily discouraged.

One ad says: "If you've decided to quit tobacco use, we support you. But if you're looking for smoke-free, spit-free, drama-free tobacco pleasure, Camel Snus is your answer. Logon to the Pleasure Switch Challenge and see how simple switching can be. Camel Snus—it might just change the way you enjoy tobacco." The ads do not make any claims of reduced health risks by using snus, and also contain a highly visible warning that "smokeless tobacco is addictive."

According to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal, some anti-smoking advocates are encouraging the FDA to allow the advertising of smokeless tobacco as less harmful than cigarettes if such claims can be proven through research. However, other anti-tobacco advocates remain opposed to snus, stating that manufacturers don’t want smokers to stop using tobacco products at all, and are aggressively marketing snus as a way to keep them addicted to nicotine. Some anti-smoking groups also oppose marketing smokeless products under the same brand names of cigarettes due to the brand recognition and appeal they apparently have with younger demographics.