First everyone was smoking cigarettes. Then came the rise of vapes. But, after learning that vapes aren't as 'healthy' in comparison to cigarettes as we once thought, people are looking for different avenues to get their nicotine fix.
Snus, a tobacco product that originated in Sweden, is fast becoming a popular option in the UK.
But what actually is it?
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For those who aren't familiar with the product, snus is a small pocket of tobacco that is placed between the upper lip and gum, designed to give off the same buzz that those hooked on nicotine get from smoking or vaping.
Essentially, it's like a single-use teabag of cigarettes.
But how does this compare to the amount of nicotine you'd get in a cigarette?
Well, it depends on a number of different factors, such as how you smoke your cigarettes and how the absorption rate differs between cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
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For example, using one snus containing 6mg of nicotine could result in the same amount of nicotine in your bloodstream as smoking one cigarette.
Typically, people smoke a cigarette in around six or seven minutes - during this time, the body absorbs roughly 2mg of nicotine.
However, people often use a nicotine pouch for around 45-60 minutes at a time, absorbing 31 percent of nicotine available in the product.
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This means that in a standard 6mg pouch you'll absorb around 2mg of nicotine but over a longer period of time.
Also, like vapes, nicotine pouches come in many flavours, meaning they are far more pleasant and enjoyable to use than cigarettes. This could result in consumers using snus one after the other, similar to how they would vape or chain-smoke cigarettes.
Not only that, but snus also comes in varying strengths, with some going up to as much as 50mg.
An unsmoked cigarette contains about 10-15mg of nicotine, but not all of this is absorbed by the body as some of it is burnt away or incorrectly inhaled depending on how the individual smokes theirs.
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However, with a pouch of snus being on the gum for a continuous period of time without breaks (like you would have with a cigarette), it means that the nicotine can be successfully absorbed by the body.
Remember, snus is designed to help people quit smoking, not to be something picked up by non-smokers.
And while snus is regarded as less risky than smoking by scientists, it still contains the highly-addictive nicotine. One dentist has even spoken out about the effects it can have on your gums in the long-term... and it's not pretty.
Pharmacist Ian Budd told Cosmo: “The information we do have does not paint it in an entirely positive light.
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“As snus contains nicotine, it is seen as an addictive substance, as it’s the nicotine in tobacco products that causes addiction in the first place.
"Some studies have shown that there may be a link to higher rates of pancreatic cancer, heart failure, and diabetes, although research is still ongoing."
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