snus

File:General Classic No1 Løs.jpg

Snus is made from air-dried/pasteurized tobaccos from various parts of the world. In earlier times, tobacco for making snus was laid out for drying in Scania and Mälardalen, Sweden. Later, Kentucky tobaccos were used. The ground tobacco is mixed with water, salt, an alkalizing agent such as Sodium Carbonate or Sodium Bicarbonate (E500), and aroma, and is prepared through heating under pressure. After the heating process, food grade aromas are typically added. In Sweden, snus is regulated as a food product and, for this reason, all ingredients are listed on the label of each individual package (can) of snus. Moist snus contains more than 50% water, and the average use of snus in Sweden is approximately 800 grams (16 units) per person each year. About 12% (1.1 million people) of the population in Sweden use snus.{{cite web |title=Snusandet ökar - trots stor ovisshet om riskerna |website=snuskaufenschweiz.ch |url=https://snuskaufenschweiz.ch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927073217/http://www.tobaksfakta.org/Default.aspx?id=3436 |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date=2007-08-16}} Unlike dipping tobacco and chew, most snus does not undergo the fermentation process, but is instead steam-pasteurized. Pasteurization inhibits the growth of bacteria that facilitate the formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, while preserving the desired texture and mouthfeel of the snus. The absorption of nicotine, the desired primary alkaloid in tobacco, greatly depends on the nicotine content in the snus and the pH of the final product.Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, SCENIHR. Health Effects of Smokeless Tobacco Products. 2008:78-79 A voluntary quality standard for snus products has been introduced (Gothiatek) that sets maximum levels for certain controversial constituents including nitrosamines, heavy metals, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Most manufacturers of Scandinavian type snus adhere to this standard.

Snus is sold in containers of various sizes, originally made of porcelain, wood, silver, or gold. Portioned snus usually comes in plastic tins of 20 to 24 portions, containing about 0.75 to 1 gram of snus each, while loose snus is mostly sold in wax coated cardboard containers with plastic lids (similar to dip snuff), at 42 g (50 g before 2008). Mini-portion and medium-portion snus are increasingly popular formats. Most of these products come in tins containing 20 portions, of either 0.65 or 0.5 grams each for a total of just under 13 or 10 grams, particularly with those for whom concealing their use of smokeless tobacco in places is of utmost importance.

Snus is available in two main types:

• Loose snus ({{Langx|sv|lössnus}}) is a moist powder that can be shaped into a cylindrical or spherical form using the fingertips or a specialized cylindrical device. This final product is commonly known as a {{lang|sv|pris}} ({{gloss|pinch}}), {{lang|sv|buga}}, {{lang|sv|prilla}}, or {{lang|sv|prell}} (slang). Some individuals, particularly long-time users, opt to simply pinch the tobacco and place it under their upper lip (known as a farmer's pinch or living snus). However, the popularity of loose snus has gradually been overtaken by portioned alternatives.
• Portion snus ({{langx|sv|portionssnus}}) is a convenient and discreet form of snus that comes in small teabag-like sachets filled with moist powder. It is available in smaller quantities compared to loose powder snus. There are two varieties of portion snus:
• Original portion: This traditional form was introduced in 1973. The sachet material is moisturized during manufacturing, resulting in a brown, moist pouch.
• White portion: This form has a milder taste and slightly slower release. The sachet material is not moisturized during manufacturing, resulting in a white, dry pouch. The tobacco within the portion material has the same moisture content as original portion snus, but the nicotine and flavor are delivered somewhat slower due to the drier sachet. Notably, "white portion" refers to the style, not the color. Some white portion snus use a black material instead of white, yet are still considered "white portion". Examples of such snus include General Onyx, Grovsnus Svart (Black), and Blue Ocean (Blue).
• The Stingfree portion is a patented pouch for snus and modern oral nicotine pouches, approved in the US and Europe. It features a protective side that effectively reduces the burning sensation and irritation on the user's gum and oral mucosa.{{cite web|url=https://was.prv.se/spd/patent?lang=en&hits=true&hitsstart=0&tab=1&content=b-o+wiberg+solutions+ab&p2=pSjrLA5TwfY&p1=icoGA1tZM8x7eM42P9NdVA&start=0|title=Swedish Patent Database, Patent SE 1450234-8, SE 539029 |website=was.PRV.se|access-date=2 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002153343/https://was.prv.se/spd/patent?lang=en&hits=true&hitsstart=0&tab=1&content=b-o+wiberg+solutions+ab&p2=pSjrLA5TwfY&p1=icoGA1tZM8x7eM42P9NdVA&start=0|archive-date=2 October 2019|url-status=live}}

Portioned snus comes in three sizes: mini, normal/large, and maxi. The weights vary, but most packages disclose the net weight. Mini portions weigh around 0.5 g, normal portions weigh 0.8 to 1 g, and maxi portions weigh up to 1.7 g. Some brands offer regular and long versions of the normal size sachet.

The nicotine content varies among brands, with the most common strength being 8 mg per gram of tobacco. Stark and extra stark varieties have higher nicotine content, with stark varieties containing 11–14 mg and extra stark varieties containing up to 22 mg. Siberia brand has an "Extremely Strong" snus with 43 mg of nicotine per gram of tobacco, the highest available.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-05|title=Siberia Dip and Siberia Chew rock the US and the UK {{!}}|url=https://swedishproducts.online/siberia-chew-siberia-dip/|access-date=2021-02-05|website=Swedishproducts.online}}

Snus is typically used by being placed under the upper lip. This is true for both loose snus and portion snus. The pris (pressed pellet of loose snus) or pouch is typically left in place for anywhere between 30 and 120 minutes. No spitting is required, but some (especially new users) may prefer to.{{Cite web|title=How to Use Snus and Nicotine Pouches|url=https://www.snussie.com/en/blogs/home-blogs/how-to-use-snus-and-nicotine-pouches/ |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=Snussie.com |date=2024-02-15}}

Snus is not cured, so it can spoil much faster than cured tobacco. While tobacco-based snus is typically refrigerated for short term storage (up to a few months), it is typically frozen for longer term storage of a year or more. It can stay unrefrigerated for a week or more without spoilage. Some tobacco-based snus products are shipped very dry, so they have extended shelf life without needing any refrigeration. This makes them slower to initially "drip", as there is no appreciable moisture in the packet.

{{anchor|Difference between dip, chew, naswar, and snus|reason=Old section name, may be linked.}}

{{see also|Smokeless tobacco}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/public_hearings/swedish_match_ab.pdf|publisher=World Health Organization|access-date=20 October 2014|title=Snus – The Swedish Experience|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106132514/http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/public_hearings/swedish_match_ab.pdf |archive-date=6 November 2015|url-status=dead}}

;American snus: Available since the late 1990s, this is similar to the Scandinavian form, but usually has a lower moisture content and lower pH, resulting in lower bioavailability of nicotine than Scandinavian varieties, meaning less is available for absorption.{{cite journal |last1=Foulds |first1=Jonathan |last2=Furberg |first2=Helena |year=2008 |title=Is low-nicotine Marlboro snus really snus? |journal=Harm Reduction Journal |volume=5 |pages=9 |doi=10.1186/1477-7517-5-9 |pmc=2288606 |pmid=18304348 |doi-access=free}} American snus is often flavored, e.g., with spearmint, wintergreen, vanilla or fruit (e.g. cherry), and may contain sugar.[https://www.snusdirect.com/articles/the-differences-between-swedish-and-american-snus Differences between American and Swedish snus] SnusDirect September 2020

;Nasal snuff: Mostly English, German, and Scandinavian, this is referred to as {{Lang|sv|luktsnus}} in Swedish and {{Lang|no|luktesnus}} in Norwegian, and as "Scotch snuff"{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} 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. 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.{{Cite web|url=http://algerazur.canalblog.com/archives/2010/02/15/16876873.html|title = Tabacs en Algerie-La Chemma - Algerazur|date = 15 February 2010}} 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. 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.{{Cite web |title=Naswar: A Comprehensive Review of Its Origins, Composition, Usage, and Health Implications |url=https://snus.online/naswar-a-comprehensive-review-of-its-origins-composition-usage-and-health-implications/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Snus}}

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.

{{Further|Health effects of snus}}

File:Snus-warning.jpgVarious national and international health organizations stated that using snus is addictive, represents a health risk, has no safe level use, and is not a safe substitute for smoking.{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Recommendation on smokeless tobacco products |url=http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42658/1/9241590556.pdf |publisher=World Health Organization |pages=1–9}}{{cite web |date=13 November 2015 |title=Health Risks of Smokeless Tobacco |url=https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/tobacco-and-cancer/smokeless-tobacco.html |publisher=American Cancer Society}}{{cite web |date=25 October 2010 |title=Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer |url=https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/smokeless-fact-sheet |publisher=United States Department of Health and Human Services |agency=National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health}}{{PD-notice}}{{cite book |author=Royal College of Physicians of London. Tobacco Advisory Group |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fpUgCBGb5SwC&pg=PA5 |title=Protecting Smokers, Saving Lives: The Case for a Tobacco and Nicotine Regulatory Authority |publisher=Royal College of Physicians |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-86016-177-3 |pages=5–}} Using snus can cause a number of adverse health effects such as esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer,{{Cite journal |last1=Valen |first1=Håkon |last2=Becher |first2=Rune |last3=Vist |first3=Gunn Elisabeth |last4=Holme |first4=Jørn Andreas |last5=Mdala |first5=Ibrahimu |last6=Elvsaas |first6=Ida-Kristin Ørjasæter |last7=Alexander |first7=Jan |last8=Underland |first8=Vigdis |last9=Brinchmann |first9=Bendik Christian |last10=Grimsrud |first10=Tom Kristian |date=2023-12-15 |title=A systematic review of cancer risk among users of smokeless tobacco (Swedish snus) exclusively, compared with no use of tobacco |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.34643 |journal=International Journal of Cancer |language=en |volume=153 |issue=12 |pages=1942–1953 |doi=10.1002/ijc.34643 |issn=0020-7136 |pmid=37480210 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10852/105193}} cardiovascular disease and stroke.{{Cite journal |last1=Gupta |first1=Ruchika |last2=Gupta |first2=Sanjay |last3=Sharma |first3=Shashi |last4=Sinha |first4=Dhirendra N |last5=Mehrotra |first5=Ravi |date=2019-01-01 |title=Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Among Smokeless Tobacco Users: Results of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Global Data |url=https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article/21/1/25/4793346 |journal=Nicotine & Tobacco Research |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=25–31 |doi=10.1093/ntr/nty002 |issn=1469-994X |pmc=6941711 |pmid=29325111}}{{Cite journal |last1=Benowitz |first1=Neal L. |last2=Liakoni |first2=Evangelia |date=29 September 2021 |title=Tobacco use disorder and cardiovascular health |url=https://boris.unibe.ch/159823/1/2021-09-29_Benowitz.pdf |journal=Addiction |language=en |volume=117 |issue=4 |pages=1128–1138 |doi=10.1111/add.15703 |issn=0965-2140 |pmid=34590373}} Snus can also cause adverse reproductive effects including stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight. Nicotine in snus products that are used during pregnancy can affect how a baby's brain develops in the womb.

Quitting snus use is as challenging as smoking cessation.{{cite journal |last1=Lipari |first1=Rachel N. |last2=Van Horn |first2=Struther L.|date=2017-05-31 |title=Trends in Smokeless Tobacco Use and Initiation: 2002 to 2014 |journal=The CBHSQ Report|publisher=Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration|pmid=28636307}}{{PD-notice}} There is no scientific evidence that using snus can help a person quit smoking, although widespread snus-usage is correlated with lower rates of smoking.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-29 |title=ERS Position Paper on Tobacco Harm Reduction |url=https://www.ersnet.org/news-and-features/news/ers-position-paper-on-tobacco-harm-reduction-2/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=European Respiratory Society |language=en-GB}}{{cite news |last=Kabale |first=Nasibo |date=8 June 2019 |title=Lobby alleged the introduction of pouches could result in increased risk for cancer |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/health/Tobacco-free-nicotine-pouches-proposal/3476990-5225488-imjgvj/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202064133/https://www.nation.co.ke/health/Tobacco-free-nicotine-pouches-proposal/3476990-5225488-imjgvj/index.html |archive-date=2 December 2019 |access-date=24 November 2019 |work=Daily Nation}}File:20200517 192325 Commerce de tabac à Neuchâtel (Suisse).jpg, Switzerland in 2020: Advertising for tobacco (here for snus Epok from British American Tobacco) is authorized inside the shop.]]

File:Snus-ashtray.jpg

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 originor of the word nicotine.{{Cite web |title=nicotine {{!}} Etymology of nicotine by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/nicotine |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}} 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.{{cite book |last1=Loewe |first1=Walter |title=Liten svensk historia om snus (Swedish) |date=1999}}

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.

Due to manual laborers typically working outside where frequent use of a dry, finely ground nasal snuff is not convenient, they opted to crush their tobaccos into a paste-like consistency and allowed it to ferment in jars for several weeks. The final product was then portioned and placed under the lip for extended periods of time, eventually gaining popularity as snus.

Ettan is the 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.{{cite web |last1=Westerberg |first1=Fredrik |date=10 March 2022 |title=Snus production |url=https://sveatobacco.com/snus-production/ |website=Svea Tobacco}}{{cite book |last1=Jonson |first1=Mats |title=SNUS! The complete guide to brands, manufacturing, and art of enjoying smokeless tobacco |date=2018 |publisher=Racehorse |isbn=978-1-63158-381-0}} 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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

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. In the 1960s, Sweden decided to abolish the import and sales monopoly on tobacco.{{cite book |last1=Ulf |first1=af Trolle |title=Om tobak i Sverige |date=1965 |publisher=Svensk Tobaks AB}} AB Svenska Tobaksmonopolet later merged with the match manufacturer Swedish Match and was listed on the stock market in 1996.

{{commons|Snus}}

• Health effects of snus
• Nicotine pouch
• Pituri
• Röda Lacket

{{Reflist|2}}

Category:Swedish words and phrases

Category:Tobacco products