Snus

Snus ( ; ) is a Swedish tobacco product. It is consumed by placing a pouch of powdered tobacco leaves under the lip for nicotine to be absorbed through the oral mucosa. Snus, not to be confused with nicotine pouches, consists of ground up tobacco leaves, salt, an alkalizer (e.g. sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate) and (optionally) flavorings. The final product is sold as both loose tobacco, and in portions with the tobacco mixture contained in a small teabag-like pouch. While "snus" in English generally refers specifically to the tobacco leaf product, in Swedish nicotine pouches are popularly referred to as , literally "white snus"; snus can be referred to as , "brown snus", to distinguish it. The manufacturing process of snus differs from that of other oral tobacco products. Snus tobacco is heated and pasteurized rather than cured or fermented, resulting in a less harmful product which contains a lower concentration of TSNA carcinogens in comparison to other traditional tobacco products. Though research on the connection between snus and disease such as cancer is not conclusive, and some studies find no associations between snus consumption and an increased risk of cancer, some do suggest a link to risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer.…

]] Snus ( ; ) is a Swedish tobacco product. It is consumed by placing a pouch of powdered tobacco leaves under the lip for nicotine to be absorbed through the oral mucosa. Snus, not to be confused with nicotine pouches, consists of ground up tobacco leaves, salt, an alkalizer (e.g. sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate) and (optionally) flavorings. The final product is sold as both loose tobacco, and in portions with the tobacco mixture contained in a small teabag-like pouch. While "snus" in English generally refers specifically to the tobacco leaf product, in Swedish nicotine pouches are popularly referred to as , literally "white snus"; snus can be referred to as , "brown snus", to distinguish it. The manufacturing process of snus differs from that of other oral tobacco products. Snus tobacco is heated and pasteurized rather than cured or fermented, resulting in a less harmful product which contains a lower concentration of TSNA carcinogens in comparison to other traditional tobacco products. Though research on the connection between snus and disease such as cancer is not conclusive, and some studies find no associations between snus consumption and an increased risk of cancer, some do suggest a link to risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. The warning text "causes cancer" was removed from snus packaging in Sweden and other countries because scientific evidence indicates that the cancer risk associated with snus is significantly lower than that of smoking. The shift in labeling aims to provide accurate information while still cautioning consumers about potential health concerns. Nicotine products in general have been linked to reproductive harms such as stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight. Conversely, non-tobacco-based nicotine pouches (also known as "nic pouches") are classified as non-carcinogenic since nicotine itself is not a carcinogen. However, they are still harmful to cardiovascular health due to their nicotine content, and are associated with moderately higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and reproductive harms. The main causes for mortality from smoking including cardiovascular disease from the effects of smoke on vascular coagulation and blood vessel walls are not caused primarily by nicotine and hence not to be considered equal to the moderate cardiovascular health risks from nicotine pouches. The sale of tobacco-based snus is illegal in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and all European Union (EU) countries except for Sweden. Non-tobacco nicotine pouches are presently not regulated at EU-level and are the most common type of tobacco product in Sweden and are also available in Switzerland. Some European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Estonia, allow the sale of non-tobacco-based snus. Snus is also available in the United States. ===Differences with other oral tobacco products=== Public health surveys may group several smokeless products together, including chewing tobacco, dip, snuff, moist snuff, snus, and dissolvable tobacco, even though they differ including in placement, use, and product form. Some forms of tobacco consumed in the mouth may be categorized as: Swedish snus: A moist form of smokeless tobacco which is usually placed under the upper lip, and which does not result in the need for spitting. It is sold either as a moist powder known as loose snus, or packaged into pouches known as portion snus. Snus is often mildly flavored with food-grade smoke aroma, bergamot, citrus, juniper berry, herbs and/or floral flavors. Most Scandinavian snus is produced in Sweden and regulated as food under the Swedish Food Act. American snus: American snus products are similar to the Scandinavian form but are not considered equivalents. Published chemical comparisons have found that sampled US products differ from Northern European products in moisture, pH levels, nicotine availability, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), and flavor compounds. American snus is often flavored, e.g., with spearmint, wintergreen, vanilla or fruit (e.g. cherry), and may contain sugar. Nasal snuff: Mostly English, German, and Scandinavian, this is referred to as in Swedish and in Norwegian, and as "Scotch snuff" in the US, is a dry, powdered form of snuff. It is insufflated – "sniffed" but not deeply "snorted" – through the nose. It is often mentholated or otherwise scented. Chewing tobacco: North American and European product, also known as chew (or in some Southern US dialects as chaw or dip). It is tobacco in the form of short or long, loose leaf and stem strands (like pipe tobacco or longer), or less commonly of chopped leaves and stems compressed into blocks called plugs, or even finely ground pieces compressed into pellets. A few brands are cut into much finer loose strands, like cigarette rolling tobacco. Chew is placed between the cheek and the gums, or actively chewed. It causes copious salivation, especially when chewed, and due to its irritant (even nauseating) effect on the esophagus, this "juice" usually requires spitting. Chewing tobacco is a long-established North American form of tobacco (derived from traditional use of raw tobacco leaf by Indigenous peoples of the Americas), and is also legal in the European Union. Chewing tobacco is sometimes flavored, e.g. with wintergreen, apple, or cherry. Dipping tobacco: Also known as dip, spit tobacco or, ambiguously, as moist snuff, this is a common American form of tobacco. It is moist, and somewhat finely ground, but less so than snus. Dipping tobacco (so called because users dip their fingers into the package to pinch a portion to insert into the mouth) is placed between the lower lip or cheek and the gums; it is not used nasally. As with chewing tobacco, salivation is copious, and usually spat out. Dipping tobacco is usually flavored, traditionally with wintergreen or mint, though many other flavorings are now available, while some unflavored brands remain popular. Beginning in the mid-1980s, several brands have packaged American dipping tobacco in porous pouches like those used for many brands of Scandinavian and American snus. Chema: This Algerian product is a moist tobacco similar to Scandinavian snus in many respects. Scientific literature describes Chemma as an oral moist snuff used in Algeria, prepared from ground tobacco mixed with inorganic salts or other plant materials. Outside of Algeria, it is most widely known as "Makla", a name that originates from the Algerian brand "Makla El Hilal", which first produced this type of smokeless tobacco during the French colonization. It is placed in the upper lip in a manner similar to snus; it differs in that it is more finely ground and has an even higher nicotine content and pH level. In a 2023 analysis of 27 Algerian smokeless-tobacco samples, total nicotine in manufactured products was reported at 3.9 to 12.6mg/g dry weight. Sales within the European Union are legal due to its classification as a chewing tobacco. Its safety in comparison to snus has not been studied sufficiently. Naswar: A central Asian product which is a moist, powdered form of tobacco, often green and sometimes caked with the mineral lime and/or wood ash. It is used like dipping tobacco or put under the tongue, and is pungent and often heavily flavored, e.g. with culinary oils (cardamom, sesame), the fruit lime, menthol, etc. Naswar contains nicotine, which can lead to addiction, and its use has been associated with increased risks of oral cancers, gum disease, and cardiovascular issues due to the presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and other harmful chemicals. Snus, dry snuff, and dipping tobacco are distinct products that some English speaking people may refer to as snuff but are all processed and used in very different ways, each with their own sets of risks. ==History== Snus has a long history of use, reaching back to the 16th century and concentrated in Sweden. Its origin lies in an invention by Jean Nicot (1530–1600), a French diplomat residing in Portugal who cultivated tobacco in his garden, and was one of the pioneers in recognizing the medicinal properties of tobacco. Nicot is also the originator of the word nicotine. Nicot meticulously dried and ground the tobacco leaves into a fine powder, which could be inhaled as snuff. He presented this powder to Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589), the Queen of France, in an effort to alleviate her migraines. The use of snuff quickly gained popularity among the French court and the upper-class citizens, becoming a fashionable trend. By the early 17th century, the practice of using nasal snuff had also spread to Sweden. Tobacco use became so prevalent in Sweden that in 1724, King Fredrik I issued a decree mandating that Swedes cultivate their own tobacco. Consequently, farmers and homesteaders started grinding their own locally grown tobacco. In the early nineteenth century, Swedish consumers increasingly shifted from nasal snuff to moist snus. Many farmers produced their own snus from locally grown tobacco, grinding it using coffee grinders or hand-carved snus mills. The final product was then portioned and placed under the lip for extended periods of time, eventually gaining popularity as snus. Ettan is the oldest still extant snus brand, which dates to 1822. Its founder, Jakob Fredrik Ljunglöf, introduced pasteurization into snus making, reducing production time by several weeks and preventing microbial contamination. In the years that followed, numerous manufacturers further improved of snus manufacturing, leading to the flourishing of many brands. Several of these brands from that era continue to exist. In 1914, the Swedish parliament nationalised the entire tobacco industry. This led to the transformation of numerous tobacco companies into the state-owned monopoly known as AB Svenska Tobakmonopolet. As a result, the number of available tobacco products decreased significantly from approximately four hundred local brands to just seventeen, although these were now distributed nationwide. Consequently, employment within the industry experienced a fifty percent decline. Sweden abolished the import and sales monopoly on tobacco products in 1961 and the manufacturing monopoly in 1967. AB Svenska Tobaksmonopolet later merged with the match manufacturer Swedish Match and was listed on the stock market in 1996. In 1971, snus became subject to the Swedish Food Act, a regulatory change later associated with expanded quality-control standards in Swedish snus manufacturing. ==See also== Health effects of snus Nicotine pouch Pituri Röda Lacket ==References==

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