A tobacco product that is placed under the lip. Snus: what is it, is it harmful, is it prohibited or not. Myths about snus

Sucking tobacco has been actively used in Europe since the beginning of the 19th century. Today, snus has become popular due to the fact that many countries have passed laws banning smoking in public places. After all, tobacco can be chewed without harming others.

Although in some states it is not allowed to sell snus, since it contains a lot of nicotine. However, manufacturers of the tobacco mixture claim that it is less dangerous than a cigar.

Experts assure that companies producing snus are openly disingenuous. They hide information that the harm of the mixture to the human body is very significant. Therefore, it is worth knowing what dangers fraught with chewing tobacco.

What is snus

Snus: what is it? This is Swedish chewing tobacco. Its main difference from cigarettes is that the product is not set on fire, but chewed.

Tobacco is often packaged in cellulose bags. The nicotine concentration varies depending on the size of the pouch.

Manufacturers of the tobacco mixture pasteurize the main component, killing pathogenic microorganisms in it. To do this, the bags are treated with steam, and after cooling they are packed into tin containers.

It is difficult to prepare such a tobacco product at home. The snus produced in production contains the following components:

1. tobacco;
2. food flavorings;
3. sugar;
4. salt;
5. nitrosamines;
6. water.

According to the type of packaging, snus can be not only portioned (in bags), but also loose. The latter is placed in cardboard boxes with a plastic lid, as they look like in the photo. It is convenient because each time a person uses it, he can take a portion that is convenient for him.

The most popular brands of chewing tobacco are Catch Lavander, Catch Dry Cassis Menthol, Catch Dry Eucalyptus and Catch Dry Vanilla Coffee.

To get the effect of using snus, a cellulose bag is applied to the gum under the upper lip or placed behind the cheek. Tobacco chewing gum begins to act in 5-30 minutes.

Used snus should be thrown away. If it is absorbed for more than 70 minutes or used repeatedly, intoxication of the body will occur.

Some people are convinced that chewing tobacco helps you quit smoking. But most likely, these people simply do not think about whether snus is harmful and do not understand how dangerous it really is to health.

Harm from chewing tobacco

For those who are wondering whether chewing tobacco is harmful or not, experts provide facts confirming the danger of demolition. To understand the scale of negative reactions after chewing tobacco, scientists recommend paying attention to its unsafe composition.

The most dangerous and main substance in snus is tobacco, which contains 5-11 mg/g of nicotine. This is an aggressive and caustic liquid that increases the risk of developing many diseases, including cancer.

Chewing tobacco also contains flavorings. Synthetic flavor substitutes have a detrimental effect on the liver and other organs.

The chewing mixture also contains carcinogens, including nitrosamines, nickel and polonium-210, which is a radioactive substance. Studies have shown that the concentration of dangerous elements in snus is 100 times greater than in beer.

Even small amounts of these substances can significantly increase the likelihood of developing cancer. After penetrating the mucous membrane, chemical elements quickly enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, which can lead to the development of oncology in any part of the body.

It is impossible to determine exactly where cancer will appear. Some people can chew tobacco for years without getting sick, while others only need one month for them to develop a tumor.

Scientists from the USA, after conducting a series of studies, found that the oral cavity most often suffers from chewing tobacco. Regular abuse of snus increases the risk of developing diseases of the gums, cheeks, teeth and inner lips by 50 times.

Cells in the mouth tissue try to form a barrier that should prevent further spread of chewing tobacco. But carcinogens turn ordinary cells into cancerous ones.

In addition to cancer of the lips, cheeks and mouth, snus users can develop cancer of the intestines, stomach and pancreas. American and Norwegian scientists have found that the risk of cancer of these organs when chewing tobacco increases by 40-67%.

How is chewing tobacco harmful? Snus contains salt. In comparison with the substances described above, it seems to be a safer component. But sodium chloride causes blood pressure to spike.

Also, excessive salt consumption increases the likelihood of developing heart and vascular diseases. According to Swiss scientists, the risk of heart attacks after regular chewing of tobacco increases by 5%.

The increased sugar content in snus causes dental diseases. Although most companies that produce tobacco chewing gum claim that it does not leave plaque on the teeth and does not cause bad breath. Scientists are convinced that this is a simple advertising ploy.

Snus can also be harmful because when you chew it regularly, your taste buds lose their sensitivity. As a result, a person may experience indigestion. He may either completely lose his appetite or, conversely, start eating everything.

Mixed tobacco increases the likelihood of muscle atrophy. Therefore, the use of tobacco to enhance athletic performance is unjustified.

Avid snusers can use about 3 cans of tobacco per week, which contains a lot of sugar. Abuse of glucose increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Sugar and tobacco also contribute to oral diseases:

• decreased salivation;
• inflammation of the gums;
• caries.

Regular chewing of snus increases the risk of breast cancer in women under 55 years of age. Chewing tobacco is very dangerous for pregnant women, as it can cause eclampsia and premature birth.

Why is snus harmful for men? Scientists around the world have conducted a lot of research proving that tobacco has a negative effect on potency. Long-term smokers experience decreased libido and impaired reproductive function.

Another negative consequence that often occurs after chewing tobacco is disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. After absorption into the oral mucosa, the components of the mixture quickly enter the intestines and stomach, having a destructive effect.

Therefore, a person may experience nausea and other dyspeptic disorders. Also, similar symptoms develop when dirt and various infections are introduced into the mouth along with a bag of tobacco.

Snus becomes addictive very quickly. Severe addiction leads to constant poisoning of the body, which can be accompanied by frequent diarrhea and vomiting.

Other negative effects of nicotine on the body:

1. development of early menopause in women;
2. hormonal disorders;
3. increased likelihood of osteoporosis;
4. general weakness;
5. confusion.

What is more dangerous: chewing tobacco or cigarettes?

Cigarettes or snus, which is more harmful? Tobacco chewing gum, like a regular cigarette product, contains a lot of harmful substances.

One serving of snus contains 5 times the concentration of nicotine contained in a cigarette. Accordingly, a person gets used to chewing tobacco much faster than to cigarettes.

However, from the point of view of harm to others, the danger from cigarettes will be more significant. After all, a smoker exhales smoke, which contains more than 600 carcinogenic substances. As you know, these chemical elements are more harmful to people around a smoker than to him.

Another advantage of snus over cigarettes is that it does not make breathing difficult. After all, when chewing, combustion elements are not formed that could penetrate into the lungs.

So does it make sense to quit smoking cigarettes using tobacco chewing gum? In a person trying to get rid of a bad habit, the body experiences a deficiency of nicotine.

Snus advertising says that when you use tobacco, your body will receive the right amount of the drug, which will relieve the symptoms of addiction. But in reality, the dosage of nicotine in tobacco gum is much higher than in cigarettes. Therefore, it will be even more difficult to get rid of the addiction to snus, because it is a strong drug.

For those who want to quit smoking, it is better to use relatively safe methods - patches, tablets or electronic cigarettes. These methods cannot be called absolutely harmless, but they are more gentle. The concentration of alkaloids, carcinogens and heavy metals in them is much lower than in snus.

Experts recommend that those who have made a firm decision to quit smoking do so immediately, without resorting to the use of auxiliary means. In the first days, the “withdrawal syndrome” is felt very acutely, which will manifest itself in a number of unpleasant symptoms:

1. insomnia;
2. irritability;
3. increased sweating;
4. aggressiveness;
5. tremor of the limbs.

But after two weeks, the nicotine will be eliminated from the body, and the body will begin to recover. Just one year after quitting smoking, half of the soot will be removed from the lungs, and after five years the risk of developing cancer will decrease by 40%.

Experts strongly advise against replacing smoking tobacco with snus. After all, the consequences can be more harmful and tangible.

People who are accustomed to large amounts of nicotine may simply not be able to give up chewing tobacco over time and will increase the dose, which will lead to real drug addiction.

Therefore, there are a number of contraindications to the use of snus and other tobacco products:

• age under 18 years;
• the presence of chronic heart and vascular diseases;
• pregnancy;
• lactation.

It is noteworthy that most scientific studies studying the harm of demolition do not take into account important factors (standard of living, education, alcohol consumption, work in hazardous industries) that affect human health. All this can change the results of scientific work, increasing the benefits of chewing tobacco or making its harm more significant.

But all researchers agree that the risk from using snus is significantly lower than the harm from smoking. Moreover, most population studies study the consequences of chewing snus for 10 years.

In recent years, the concentration of harmful components in chewing tobacco has decreased significantly. However, researchers note that the effect of snus on the body has not been fully studied.

Many people from time to time want to try something new and unknown, so often in the search process they come across the concept of snus. Swedish tobacco, which does not need to be set on fire during smoking. It is considered smokeless. People who purchase this unfamiliar product for the first time usually do not know very well what snus is or how to use this tobacco. In fact, everything is quite simple and does not require much effort.

You need to know when using snus that this substance needs to be “smoked” in the following way: you need to place the packaged bag under your upper lip and start sucking. Taking one portion of tobacco can last from five minutes to half an hour, it all depends on the sensations and state of the human body while smoking. You can find out when buying snus that it is a combination of water, tobacco and all sorts of flavorings that give it an unusual taste. Therefore, anyone who suffers from allergies should familiarize themselves with the composition of snus before purchasing in order to avoid trouble.

Is it that simple?

Many people believe that using snus is practically harmless, but this is only partly true. This type of tobacco really does not harm a person’s lungs, because it is smokeless and, accordingly, does not pollute the lungs. Does snus apply at all?

harm to the body? There is an opinion that no. However, there is one “but”: when using tobacco products of this type, the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas sharply increases. This is especially dangerous under conditions of an unfavorable environment, leading an unhealthy lifestyle - all this in itself increases the chances of developing the disease. Snus often uses large amounts of sugar to improve its taste, so those who frequently use this tobacco will undoubtedly develop tooth decay. This is only the most harmless part of the problems that smokeless smoking can lead to, because sometimes this activity can lead to irreversible changes in the oral cavity. Because of this, people sometimes have to remove part of the jaw, and sometimes some neck muscles, as a result of which the person’s appearance changes beyond recognition. If a smoker still wants to use snus, he needs to remember that under no circumstances should he swallow a packaged packet of tobacco, because this will lead to poisoning and will greatly affect the condition of the gastrointestinal tract as a whole.

Is the game worth the candle?

In this article we partially answered the question about snus. What this is is not difficult to understand. People evaluate this tobacco product differently. Those smokers who smoked before using chewing tobacco
regular cigarettes, they believe that after starting to use snus, their well-being has improved significantly, their health has become noticeably stronger, and they have generally gained more strength. Some doctors, in contrast, believe that snus is more harmful because it increases the risk of cancer, so its sale and distribution should be banned. Each person has the right to decide for himself whether to use this substance or not, but we should never forget about the consequences this can lead to.

https://site/img/blog/how-use/fridge.svg

Remove from refrigerator

It is advisable to store snus in the refrigerator. Nothing will happen to it in a short time at room temperature, but the effect of snus is much better when it is cold

https://site/img/blog/how-use/food.svg

"Mash" the bag

Remove the bag from the jar and “mash” it with your fingers, squeezing the bag several times, distributing the tobacco more evenly. Make sure you don't tear it :)

https://site/img/blog/how-use/kiss.svg

Place between upper lip and gum

Place the bag between top lip and gum (where the heart is in the picture), exactly the top, so salivation will be minimal. Place the bag left or on right, but not in the middle, as you can burn the bridle there.

https://site/img/blog/how-use/drop.svg

Don't spit

Using Swedish snus(not to be confused with American snus or redman chew) the body secretes its own saliva and can be swallowed. But as soon as the snus drips and there is a lot of saliva, it is better not to swallow. You should not swallow saliva from repeaters. If you feel that the saliva is bitter, then you spit.
More saliva is produced on an empty stomach.

https://site/img/blog/how-use/people.svg

Relax and enjoy

At the beginning you will feel a burning sensation in your gums, do not be alarmed, it is the salt that burns. After some time, “pleasant relaxation” will begin. If you are a beginner, you may feel very dizzy and some nausea or even vomiting. This is a normal reaction of the body to nicotine. Therefore, start with weaker tobaccos. On average, snus lasts 5-30 minutes, everything is purely individual and depends on the snus itself and the user.

Do you like to put snus under your upper lip and does it bring you pleasure? We will talk about how snus can affect your health.

Helen Stohr is a professor of preventive medicine and works at Boston University and studies the effects of snus on human health.

People don't know how snus affects their health?

Yes, I think many people don't realize the dangers of using snus. Information about this is not very common.

What side effects are we talking about?

Many side effects can occur, but the most serious consequences occur when pregnant women use snus. This can even lead to the death of the fetus, says Stohr and admits that more and more young women are choosing this stimulant.

Stohr's words are confirmed by Swedish research, which shows that the risk of fetal death caused by snus use is as high as if a pregnant woman smokes ten cigarettes a day.

Other consequences

Helen Stohr adds that there are many other documented studies that talk about:

• Risk of developing cancer of the esophagus, pancreas or oral cavity;
• Snus use increases risk of death from heart attack
• Snus raises blood pressure and increases heart rate, which can lead to serious health problems.
• Research shows that consuming snus may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

It is safe to say that snus has a very adverse effect on blood circulation.

Is snus less harmful than tobacco?

Snus may indeed be harmful to health, but experts agree that it is 90% less harmful than tobacco, says Fernando Azuel, director of research conducted at the National Institute.

Snus use and diseases resulting from use are not associated with diseases of tobacco smokers. Here we are talking about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and vascular heart disease. Yes, snus can be harmful, but it cannot be compared to the smoking tobacco found in cigarettes, says Azuel.

Despite the fact that snus is not as harmful as cigarettes, I do not recommend anyone to take it. Only one exception can be specified. If someone is quitting smoking and it is very difficult for them, then they can use snus for a while. However, this is a last resort, says Stohr.

Snus consumers can be divided into three categories:

1. Those who quit smoking
2. Those who quit smoking
3. Young people who, if not for snus, would have purchased cigarettes.

Out of interest in new sensations, some people try chewing tobacco. It is believed to cause less harm to health than cigarettes, helps quit smoking, and can even serve as a safe doping for athletes. What is chewing tobacco and is it really healthy?

Chewing tobacco (snus)

Chewable tobacco is a smokeless whole-leaf tobacco containing salts, humectants and flavorings. It is placed behind the cheek or lip and chewed, as a result of which it is quickly absorbed into the mucous membranes and enters the blood. At the same time, a person receives satisfaction.

Snus is usually equated to chewing tobacco, but it is more of a variation that is now popular. It looks like crushed powder, so it would be more accurate to call it sucking.

Unlike the contents of cigarettes, chewing tobacco contains fewer harmful impurities, including nitrosamines. Salt is added to enhance the taste, but at the same time it acts as a preservative, thereby extending the shelf life of the product. Humidifiers, which most often use water, protect snus from drying out.

Chewing tobacco was invented in Sweden, from where the Ettan company brought it to Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. Only in the second half of the century before last did he become known in the USA.

The Swedes were the first to discover that chewing tobacco is safer for health than smoking tobacco. This is confirmed by scientists, some of whom even claim that when using snus, a person prolongs his life.

However, the opinion of Swedish experts is not shared by their colleagues in other countries. The sale of chewing tobacco is banned throughout the European Union, excluding Sweden and Norway, although its use is absolutely legal throughout the EU. In Russia, fines were introduced in 2015 for the sale of chewing tobacco, but it is still not difficult to buy it on the Internet.

The main producer of snus is still Sweden. It is available in general packaging or packaged in individual sachets. As a general rule, the smaller the serving, the higher the nicotine content.

Chewing tobacco with flavorings and additives - coffee, mint, lime, licorice - is popular. There are now a lot of varieties of snus, which is partly why people are showing increased interest in it.

Chewing tobacco in the photo

Effect

If when smoking, nicotine from tobacco enters the body with smoke, then when chewing or resorption - through saliva, from which it is quickly absorbed into the mucous membranes and blood. Snus is usually placed under the upper lip, where it is kept for 5 minutes to an hour. When the taste or effect weakens, it is spat out, replacing it with a new portion if necessary.

When nicotine enters the body, a person feels relaxed, just like smoking does. Some chew tobacco to combat stress and depression, others to improve appetite. Due to various additives, saliva after snus becomes tasty, and it is swallowed to enhance the effect.

However, if a person has chosen tobacco with a high nicotine content, after swallowing saliva he will feel symptoms of poisoning:

• dizziness;
• nausea;
• gagging.

Therefore, a person who uses snus has a special spittoon in his arsenal. They spit saliva into it, which should not be swallowed.

Benefit

Chewing tobacco has its pros and cons. Some of its properties can really be called useful.

Unlike cigarettes, snus:

• protects people from passive smoking;
• relieves stress more effectively;
• helps to quit smoking.

Chewing tobacco can be useful for heavy smokers, since they do not need to constantly take smoking breaks and be distracted from work to get their dose of nicotine. Snus can also be safely used in restaurants, cafes and any public institutions where cigarettes are banned. Smokers themselves often note that after switching to chewing tobacco they noticed an improvement in their health.

On the other hand, snus is surrounded by many myths that come from its homeland of Sweden. Statistics show that fewer people are actually suffering from lung cancer in this country. In addition, Sweden is the only European country in which the number of citizens who smoke has dropped to less than 20% of the population.

These statistics suggest that chewing tobacco is a safe and even beneficial alternative to smoking. Many also believe that snus improves brain activity, thereby increasing concentration and activating the thought process. For these reasons, chewing tobacco is becoming increasingly popular among young people who are worried about passing exams or trying to build a career.

In fact, even one small portion of snus invigorates, but only once and for a short period of time. Subsequently, chewing tobacco will not bring a similar effect. Obviously, there is no point in using it to increase activity.

In addition, snus is very physically addictive because it contains a high nicotine content. If you smoke a cigarette for a couple of minutes, then you hold snus behind your lip for hours. In this case, nicotine is absorbed more slowly and therefore has a longer lasting effect on the body.

You can quit smoking using chewing tobacco. However, a new addiction will develop - to snus. It won't be easy to overcome her.

Harm and consequences

Is snus harmful? Researchers claim that chewing tobacco provokes the development of a number of diseases:

• diseases of the nasopharynx;
• cancer of the stomach, prostate, intestines;
• loss of sensitivity of taste buds;
• appetite disorders;
• heart pathologies:
• hypertension;
• diseases of teeth and gums;
• muscle atrophy.

When using snus, a person does not inhale toxic smoke. but still exposes the body to harmful effects.

The fact is that chewing tobacco, like smoking tobacco, contains harmful substances in high concentrations:

• nicotine;
• carcinogens;
• salt;
• sugar.

One serving of snus contains 5 times more nicotine than a cigarette. Therefore, people who consume chewing tobacco quickly develop addiction, both physical and psychological. All this is the answer to the question of whether snus is harmful.

It is impossible to improve your health by switching from smoking to chewing tobacco. During experiments, it was found that from one portion of snus the body receives the same amount of nicotine as from one cigarette. Consuming two packs of chewing tobacco per week produces the same effect as smoking 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day.

Many manufacturers now produce snus with low nicotine content. Thinking that it is absolutely harmless, teenagers often start trying it in order to experience new sensations or appear more mature and respectable in the eyes of their peers.

As the addiction develops, the teenager begins to switch to stronger varieties in the hope of getting the relaxation that he experienced the first time, but this does not happen. As a result, the person, on the contrary, becomes more irritable.

When you try to stop using snus, severe symptoms develop.

Withdrawal syndrome is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and consequences:

• aggressiveness;
• Bad mood;
• depression;
• severe stress;
• digestive disorders;
• night sleep disturbances.

In addition, snus contains 28 carcinogens, including nickel, radioactive polonium-210, and nitrosamines. All these substances, even in small doses, provoke the development of cancerous tumors, and in chewing tobacco their content exceeds all permissible standards. It has been scientifically established that snus contains 100 times more carcinogens than beer and bacon - to put it mildly, not the healthiest products.

According to the US Cancer Society, chewing tobacco users are 50 times more likely to develop cancer of the gums, cheeks, and inner lips. Tissue cells in these areas try to create a barrier that would prevent further spread of snus. However, due to exposure to carcinogens, healthy cells transform into cancer cells.

After being absorbed into the mucous membranes, carcinogens from chewing tobacco enter the bloodstream, with which they are carried throughout the body. Therefore, the oncological process can occur not only in the oral cavity, but also in any other part of the body. Most often the stomach and intestines are affected, and in men, the prostate.

It is impossible to predict the development of a cancerous tumor - it depends solely on the characteristics of a particular organism. Some people can use chewing tobacco for years without serious health consequences. However, snus significantly increases the risk of cancer.

The increased salt content in snus can cause a jump in blood pressure. This creates risks of heart and vascular diseases, as well as hypertension. In Sweden, the birthplace of snus, where myths about its safety for the body are spread, this bad habit is the cause of more than 5% of heart attacks.

High concentrations of sugar in chewing tobacco lead to dental disease. Many manufacturers claim that snus, unlike cigarettes, does not cause caries and yellow plaque on teeth, and does not cause a specific smell from the mouth. Reviews from scientists suggest that this is just a publicity stunt.

Due to constant chewing of tobacco, the sensitivity of taste buds decreases. This leads to eating disorders. A person loses his appetite or develops unhealthy eating habits, resulting in poor digestion.

In addition, chewing tobacco can cause muscle wasting. Therefore, its use to improve the results of sports competitions is unfounded.
Consequences of using chewing tobacco:

Popular brands and manufacturers

There are various types of snus on the modern market, which are produced mainly in Sweden. They differ in strength, composition, presence or absence of flavoring additives. Some companies even produce white snus, which is positioned as an innovative product made using a unique method.

Chew bags Oden's

Oden's brand produces premium snus, one of the most popular of its kind. The manufacturer is a world-famous company GN Tobacco.

Odens chewing tobacco comes in both loose form (the consumer determines the serving size himself) and packaged in sachets of various sizes.

Snus contains the following ingredients:

• Swedish tobacco;
• purified water;
• salt;
• flavorings.

The manufacturer relies on a variety of tobacco flavors, including licorice, blueberry, cola, apple, wintergreen and others. The amount of nicotine in Oden’s snus varies from 8 mg/g. up to 22 mg/g.

Epok

Epok snus appeared on the market relatively recently - in 2014. It is produced by the Swedish company Winnington A.B.

The main feature of the new type of snus is its white color. For its production, ordinary brown tobacco is used, which is processed using a special technology. According to the manufacturer, in this way snus is 90% purified from harmful impurities.

Despite the unusual color, Epok chewing tobacco does not differ significantly from its analogues in taste and effects.

Its composition is also standard:

• Swedish tobacco;
• purified water;
• salt;
• stabilizers;
• flavorings.

Epok snus is available in loose form and packaged in bags of different sizes. The range of flavors is varied: coffee, juniper, blueberry, mint, ginger and others. The strength of chewing tobacco varies from 8 mg/g. up to 21 mg/g.

Chesterfield

Chesterfield is a world-famous cigarette brand, the rights to which belong to the American company Drummond Tobacco. However, few people know that chewing tobacco was originally produced under this brand, which brought the main profit to the organization.

Chesterfield snus is currently produced by Swedish Match. It contains the following ingredients:

• Swedish tobacco;
• purified water;
• salt;
• humidifiers;
• flavoring additives.

The manufacturer relies on original tobacco flavors of different strengths. However, you can also find Chesterfield menthol snus. Like its analogues, this chewing tobacco is available in loose form and packaged in portioned bags.