Snus

Snus (/snuːs/ SNOOSS, Swedish: [ˈsnʉːs] ^ⓘ) is a tobacco product (in Scandinavia) and non-tobacco nicotine product (outside of Scandinavia; often marketed as nicotine pouches) consumed by placing a pouch of powdered tobacco leaves or powdered non-tobacco plant fibers under your lip for nicotine to be absorbed through the oral mucosa.^[1] Whereas the nicotine in tobacco-based snus derives from tobacco leaves, the nicotine in non-tobacco snus can be either naturally or synthetically synthesized.^[2][3]

Tobacco-based snus carries many of the same health risks as smoking, although to a considerably lesser degree.^[4] Long-term oral tobacco use is correlated with a variety of harmful effects such as oesophagus cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer,^[5] cardiovascular disease, stroke^[6][7] and adverse reproductive effects including stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight.^[8] Conversely, non-tobacco based snus, or nicotine pouches, are currently classified as non-carcinogenic.^[9][10][11] However, they are still harmful to cardiovascular health due to their nicotine content, and are associated with moderately higher risk of cardivascular disease, stroke, and reproductive harms.^[12][13]

The sale of both tobacco based and non-tobacco based snus is illegal in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and all European Union (EU) countries except for Sweden.^[15][16] It is the most common type of tobacco product in Norway^[17] and Sweden,^[18] and is also available in Switzerland. Some European countries, such as the United Kingdom^[19] and Estonia,^[20] allow the sale of non-tobacco based snus. Snus is also available in the United States.