In any era but this one, that three new cigarette may have filters that could reduce the harm in their smoke would have been considered great news. But now, with the anti-tobacco lobby so quick to pounce on any suggestion that tobacco could be made safer, manufacturers have been forced to be very conservative in what they say about their products. "There has been a sea change in the way potential reduced exposure products (PREP) are perceived," says L J Hand, Chief Executive Officer of Wellstone Filters. "Now, if a company has any claims in the area of reduced risk, it is wise not to mention them." And he doesn't. His company's new Wellstone brand, launched earlier in the year in Central and South America, will soon be rolled out in the United States, perhaps by the end of this month. But the packaging and promotion will include nothing at all about harm reduction.
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