Snus – the oral tobacco free product that reduced smoking and cancer rates

 Snus are small pouches of tobacco that have been processed and sometimes flavoured. The pouch is held in the mouth, against the user’s gum, and it releases nicotine. They are a much safer source of nicotine than cigarettes, so switching from smoking to snus reduces a smoker’s health risks. They are very popular in Sweden, where they have been used for over 30 years, contributing to very low smoking rates and cancer rates in that country.

“Snus has contributed to decreasing initiation of smoking rather than serving as a gateway to smoking. Smokers who have taken up snus use have quit smoking to a significantly greater extent than smokers without snus use https://snuskaufenschweiz.ch/, and a substantial proportion has eventually quit snus use as well and become tobacco-free. These effects have been consistent across five decades. Dual use appears to be a transient state that serves as a stepping-stone to cessation. Snus is the most commonly used self-treatment aid for smoking cessation. Snus has been a major factor behind Sweden’s record-low prevalence of smoking and its position as the country with Europe’s lowest level of tobacco-related mortality among men”

Oral tobacco use has a bad history, and other forms of oral tobacco are associated with cancer, especially oral and pancreatic cancer. Swedish Snus are highly evolved, and better than American equivalents. Swedish Snus actually contains less nicotine than American snus, but the higher pH and greater moisture content mean they can deliver nicotine more rapidly, closer to the effect of a cigarette. They are pasteurized to prevent tobacco degradation into harmful byproducts.

Governments and tobacco control experts seem to have a difficult time understanding that any form of treatment has a risk. Penicillin is a great antibiotic and should not be banned, even if a few people die of penicillin allergy. There is a possibility that some people may use Snus who would otherwise never have used any nicotine product, but this small risk is far outweighed by the benefit of smokers switching to Snus, as demonstrated by the tobacco-related disease rates in Sweden.

The tobacco industry is now starting to market new dissolvable nicotine pouches. These products are still addictive and come with risks but no smoke. So by using these products you would quit smoking but just expose yourself to new problems like tongue, lip and other oral cancers.

These alternatives to cigarettes called Camel Sticks, Camel Orbs and Camel Strips are made from tobacco that has been finely milled and food grade binders hold them together.

They can be held in the mouth or broken into a small piece and nestled between the gum and lip similar to snus or chewing tobacco. But with these dissolvable nicotine products there is no spitting.

Using these nicotine products is just trading one type of health problem for anther. They certainly won't help people stop smoking or stop a nicotine addiction. Compounding the problem they come candy-flavored which may appeal to the teenage market. The tobacco makers have used child-proof packaging in an attempt to convince the general public that it is not being marketed to children. Most teenagers can open child-proof packaging!

The dissolvable snus was originally sold in round tins similar to the original type of snus. But teachers got wise to the fact that teens were carrying it in their pockets so the tobacco makers switched to cell phone shaped tins.

Most smokers want to quit smoking cigarettes. It doesn't help that the tobacco makers come up with new products that still encourage people to continue jeopardizing their health with just another new addictive nicotine product that just helps smokers keep being hooked.

Smokers who want to quit smoking have many other ways to do it rather than switch to another nicotine addictive product. The focus today should be on coming up with new quit smoking solutions to help people get rid of their nicotine addictions for good.

At a time when many states have passed laws to prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants, this is just another creative way for the tobacco industry to come up with a way to profit and perpetuate the health hazards of nicotine. If you're smoking cigarettes now and want to quit as so many smokers do, know that thousands of smokers have done it before you and you can do too. There are many ways to approach it. You can find the right way and best way to quit smoking and stop exposing yourself to cancer and other health problems. You don't need dissolvable tobacco to do it.