Surge in sales of products to cease smoking are...

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Gazette News Service

GRAND RAPIDS — A two-month free supply of gum turned out to be a smokin’ hot deal, judging by the 65,000 calls that poured into the Michigan Tobacco Quit Line last week.

The overwhelming response — the amount of smoking-cessation products requested exceeded the state’s supply — doesn’t surprise Laura Van Heest, an education coordinator for Tobacco Free Partners, a Kent County program offering counseling, support groups and classes to help those trying to kick the habit.

Over-the-counter and prescribed versions of the medication “are almost must-haves to stop smoking,” Van Heest said.

When paired with counseling support, the success rate is 40 percent better than going cold turkey, said Karen Brown, who oversees the Quit Line at the state Department of Community Health.

Van Heest and Brown attribute the surge of interest in smoking cessation to a federal cigarette-tax increase that will take effect April 1, when it will climb from 39 cents to $1.01 a pack.

Growing demand for smoking-cessation products has been healthy for the bottom line of pharmaceutical companies such as Perrigo Co.

The Allegan-based generic-drug-maker produces coated and uncoated nicotine gums and lozenges sold at major retailers.

“It’s very good sales. It’s been a nice growth category,” said Perrigo spokesman Art Shannon, noting that the company doesn’t break out sales figures for its nicotine products. They are part of the company’s consumer health division, which generates $1.4 billion in annual revenues, or about 72 percent of sales.

Bigger than market brands

In the $450 million category, store brands own a bigger market share than national brands, Shannon said.

Perrigo, the largest producer of store brands, entered the market in late 2005 with lozenges.

Last year, the company introduced several flavors of the over-the-counter Nicotine Polacrilex Gum USP, comparable to GlaxoSmithKline’s Nicorette Gum.

“We’ve won taste tests with our product. It kind of tastes like Chiclets but with a little kick to it,” Shannon said.

Store brands can cost $12 to $15 less than national brands, which average $45 to $50.

Sales of Nicorette topped $156.3 million last year in the United States, while store brands generated $149.7 million in sales.

While Nicorette sales dropped 5.5 percent over the previous year, sales of private brands grew 4 percent, according to Information from Resources Inc., which tracks sales in supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Kentwood resident Brett Pyrzewski, a 29-year smoker, credits smoking-cessation gum for helping him give up a pack-a-day habit in December.

“I found by chewing the gum, my craving is satisfied,” said Pyrzewski, who spends $27 for 170 pieces of Wal-Mart’s Equate brand, which lasts him about two weeks.

“I think it almost takes the place of the cigarette, minus the smoke,” the 44-year-old said.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-33/123747423642360.xml&coll=7

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