Snus has long since made its entry into the country - in fact, it has been here since the 18th century. In 2016, however, it was forbidden to sell snus in Denmark, which has meant that the market has changed. Today, it is legal to sell nicotine bags, which are very similar to snus. The difference lies primarily in the fact that nicotine bags do not contain tobacco.
NB: At NikoPouches.dk we do not encourage people to take snus. It may well be ingested, but it is illegal to sell. This article should be seen as a source of information for those who want to know more about snus, and who may be looking for other alternatives.
What is snus?
Snus consists of tobacco with added water, salts, flavors, humectants and pH-regulating substances. Snus is categorized as smokeless tobacco, which is not smoked, but instead taken orally. It also contains nicotine, which is addictive.
Smokeless tobacco is a term for all non-smoking tobacco. This includes snus and chewing tobacco as oblique, but also tobacco leaves for chewing and dry snus.
Snus has for a long time been most widespread in Sweden and Norway, where snus i.a. also sold as loose powder. After it became illegal in Denmark in 2016, nicotine bags have become more popular.
How does snus work?
In Scandinavia, it is most common to place snus under the upper lip, while Americans do it a little differently. As a rule, they place snuff between the cheek and the gums. After the snus has been sitting in the mouth for a while and the nicotine has been absorbed through the oral mucosa, the bag is spit out.
How long should snus be in the mouth?
Intoxication typically lasts for 10 to 20 minutes, but it depends on how strong the snus is. As you get used to it, the effect also decreases a bit. It is the same with coffee, where the body gets used to the amount of caffeine you drink. However, it will always have an effect no matter how much you take or drink.
So how long you should have it sitting depends on you as a person and how strong the snus is.
Is snus illegal?
Snus is illegal to sell in Denmark. This applies to both a store and a private person. In the other Scandinavian countries, however, the rules are different. Sweden is the only country in the EU where it is allowed to sell snus with tobacco. In Norway, it is also allowed to sell snus.
In Denmark, however, it is legal to sell nicotine bags and chewing tobacco. At NikoPouches.dk we sell nicotine bags that do not contain tobacco.
Is snus dangerous and are there any side effects?
Snus is primarily addictive as it contains nicotine. In addition, it can cause damage to the gums and be carcinogenic. It is not an area where a lot of research has been done, but there is a predominant part that proves that it is generally harmful to the body in the long run. However, snus is not as harmful as cigarettes - and must therefore be considered a better alternative. An even better alternative is nicotine bags that do not contain tobacco .
The Dental Association claims that snus can cause the gums to retract, making your teeth more visible. This gum does not come back and is therefore a permanent result of the use of snus. In addition, snus irritates the oral mucosa, which in a kind of defense forms hard skin in the form of whitish, wrinkled stains where the snus has been. Fear not, however, these mucosal changes disappear when you stop taking snus.
In Scandinavia, however, snus is pasteurized tobacco, which means that it contains fewer carcinogens than traditional snus from other countries. In addition, snus contains far fewer carcinogens than cigarettes and smoking tobacco in general.
Is there an age limit for snus?
There is no age limit for snus in Denmark, as it is illegal to sell. However, there are still some kiosks and individuals who do it anyway. Whether they enforce an age limit is not known. In Denmark, however, you must be 18 years old to buy nicotine bags and chewing tobacco - this of course also applies to us.
We hope you found what you were looking for and that the information was useful. We would like to thank our sources of information for much of the knowledge we have acquired.
Sources of information:
www.cancer.dk/snusfornuft/sandt-eller-falsk/
www.sundhed.dk/borger/patienthaandbogen/sundhedsoplysning/rygning/om-rygning/snusbrug/
www.op-i-roeg.dk/9-klassetrin-for-eller-imod-tobak/nye-kunder/snus/
