Trick or Treat: Camel Orbs

Camel Orbs are dissolvable tobacco pellets, that, as you can see here, are about the size of a tic tac. The product is made from finely milled tobacco and are said to last about 15 to 20 minutes. The user simply puts the mint on their tongue or in between their cheek and their gum. The product comes in two different flavors; "Fresh" and "Mellow." The industry calls these smokeless and spitless products, "the best tobacco you've never smoked." The label on each package directs you to "let each Orb dissolve completely in your mouth." The package will also tell you, in a less so prominent place, "Warning: This product may cause mouth cancer." The CDC will tell you the risks don't end there. According to the CDC, smokeless tobacco contains 28 known, cancer-causing toxins, that it is not only known to cause cancer of the mouth, but to also increase the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas. The CDC will tell you it's strongly associated with leukoplakia, a precancerous lesion in your mouth, recession of gums, gum disease and tooth decay. They can lead to preeclampsia, low birth weight and premature birth in pregnant women and reduced sperm count and abnormal sperm cells in males.

Another ingredient you won't find on the Orbs packaging is nicotine, especially not the fact that the mints can lead to nicotine overdoses, according to Oral Cancer News. This report in Oral Cancer News, claims Camel dissolvable products deliver up to three times the amount of nicotine that's in a cigarette.

This poisonous product mimics the look of candy products like tic tacs right down to the leafy shape around their logo. So teach your kids these products are dangerous and NOT a safe alternative to cigarettes, a claim the CDC has backed up. A lion in sheep's clothing is still a lion.

Now that you know about this product, how to identify it and what's really on the inside, spread the word. Let's teach our youth to opt for the treat and not this highly-addictive, toxic trick!