How is snus produced? Snus is a moist, smokeless tobacco product for oral use, which is particularly widespread in Scandinavian countries. Snus is mainly packaged in small pouches that are placed under the upper lip. The tobacco comes into contact with the saliva in the mouth, causing the release of nicotine and flavorings. Although tobacco is the basis of snus and contributes to its taste, there is a wide variety of different flavors on the snus market today, so it is not just about the taste of tobacco in the mouth.
Snus is made from the following ingredients:. The different types of snus also have different nicotine levels and therefore snus is available on the market in different strengths. Snus may also be unpackaged, but sold as a loose powder.
This traditional form is still on the snus market. But when we talk about snus, we are talking mostly about portioned sachets. The prevailing opinion is that snus and chewing tobacco are not different at all and are the same tobacco products. Although it is marketed as an alternative to cigarettes, the little packets of wet tobacco are just as addictive. The U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health agencies have determined that smokeless tobacco products:.
The percentage of 12th graders reporting past-month smokeless tobacco use increased from 6. In contrast, a cigarette delivers about 23 nanograms per milliliter of nicotine in the first five minutes, but by 30 minutes the levels of nicotine in the body are comparable between the two products [source: Gartner et al.
To substitute for the flavor that's lost in the pasteurization process, snus manufacturers add lots of salt and sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda. Baking soda helps release nicotine whereas ammonia helps release nicotine in other tobacco products. This means that snus is just as addictive as cigarettes. But, as any heavy coffee drinker would argue, addictiveness alone doesn't necessarily make a product dangerous.
Even opponents of snus admit that it releases "cleaner" nicotine than cigarettes. The pasteurization of snus tobacco kills off nitrites chemical compounds of one part nitrogen and two parts oxygen , especially tobacco-specific nitrosamines TSNAs.
TSNAs are one of the primary carcinogens found in tobacco, and have been correlated with cancers of the lungs, oral cavity, esophagus and liver from both cigarette and smokeless tobacco usage. When tobacco is fermented, higher quantities of TSNAs are present. By refrigerating the snus after production, snus tobacco resists fermentation that tobacco stored at room temperatures undergoes even after its been packaged.
Storing tobacco at room temperature for six months increases TSNA levels by 30 to percent, whereas in refrigerated snus tobacco there's no increase in TSNAs [source: Foulds et al. According to tobacco researchers, a snus user is 90 percent less likely to get cancer than a smoker [source: Levy et al.
Because there's no combustion when someone consumes snus, carcinogenic chemicals that lead to lung cancer like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons the byproduct of combustion of the tar in cigarettes , aren't present. In fact, researchers report that there's no statistical difference in lung cancer rates between snus users and those who never use tobacco in any form [source: Foulds et al.
Unlike dip and chew, which contain higher levels of TSNAs resulting from the fermentation of the tobacco, snus doesn't present a risk of oral or other head cancers [source: Gartner et al. On the other hand, smoking doubles the risk of oral cancer and increases the risk of lung cancer tenfold [source: Gartner et al.
When it comes to tobacco and safety, there's always a catch. One study found that almost nine out of every , snus users develop pancreatic cancer, compared to 13 out of every , smokers and 3. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most intractable forms of cancer; the majority of cases are diagnosed at a late stage once the disease has spread to other parts of the body, as there are no universal screening methods for earlier detection. Pregnant women using snus gave birth to babies weighing an average of 1.
Snus also creates greater risk of oral lesions and tooth decay. In spite of its risks, tobacco companies have been eager to point out that snus is safer than cigarettes.
Keep reading to learn more about how snus has been marketed and regulated. If you've never heard of snus, you're not alone.
Both Altria and R. Reynolds have launched major national advertising campaigns to introduce the strange-sounding product to American markets. Both companies are advertising in magazines and wherever cigarettes are sold. Altria and R. Reynolds sell their snus lines in pre-packaged bundles along with packs of Marlboro and Camel cigarettes. Congressional legislation that passed in June authorized the U. Until this legislation, tobacco marketing was restricted through a patchwork of judicial rulings.
Tobacco companies can no longer use terms like "light" and "low tar" in their marketing materials, and will soon be required to add prominent warning labels such as "Smoking Kills" these will be more dramatic than the traditional Surgeon General's warning. The bill didn't specify how smokeless products would be regulated, though it prohibits manufacturers from making claims that they are less harmful.
With greater latitude to market smokeless products than cigarettes, tobacco companies have high hopes for snus. They have tried to make the claim that snus can help smokers quit. In a controversial letter to the FDA, Altria suggested that its smokeless products are designed to "complement proven prevention and cessation strategies, not to compete with them" [source: Wilson and Creswell ].
The companies have marketed the products as a way to get a nicotine fix when you can't smoke, like a nicotine gum. Tobacco control experts are saying not so fast. They warn that American snus products aren't actually snus. The tobacco delivers far lower levels of nicotine than traditional Swedish snus. This means that Marlboro and Camel snus won't calm nicotine cravings as effectively as nicotine replacement therapy NRT. If you think this undermines the companies' claim that snus can help people stop smoking, you're not alone.
You don't need to spit. You should let it chill out. Snus has been blowing up for 30 odd years in Sweden, anyway. Make Fun.
0コメント