What is the difference between chew and snus

In contrast, the sale of cigarettes has remained legal throughout Europe. Snus is so popular in the Scandinavian country that lawmakers there threatened to boycott the EU unless their favorite tobacco product remained legal.

This article looks at snus, the unofficial nicotine of Sweden, and why both American tobacco manufacturers and public health experts are so enamored of it. Tobacco first arrived in Sweden in the mids from New Sweden, the country's short-lived colony in modern day Delaware. It wasn't long after that snus was invented as a way to bring snuff to the masses. Necessity was the mother of snus's invention, as tobacco was prohibitively expensive for most Swedes.

Playing second fiddle to the world's colonial powers, Sweden found itself with less buying power in tobacco commodities markets, resulting in high prices for the import. Sweden was also one of the first nations to tax tobacco as a luxury product. Snus, which mixes cheaper tobacco with salt and water, was introduced as an affordable -- and, without spit, cleaner -- form of snuff.

To make snus, the tobacco leaves are first cut into small strips, air- and sun-dried, and then ground into a powder. The ground tobacco is then treated with heat for 24 to 36 hours, reaching temperatures of around degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius. A "wet" snuff, snus tobacco contains 50 percent water and 30 percent tobacco. It's usually sold in tea bag-shaped portions that the user bundles under his or her upper lip.

A heavy snus user may consume the product for 13 to 15 hours a day. With high levels of salt, moist oral snuff produces less saliva than dipping or chewing tobaccos like Skoal, Copenhagen or Red Man, and the saliva byproduct is meant to be swallowed.

The finished tobacco product is chilled below room temperature to keep its contents fresh. Expect to find American tobacconists installing refrigerators if they carry snus. The process of heating ground snus tobacco below the point of combustion is called pasteurization , and it's what distinguishes snus from other types of tobacco. In most forms of tobacco production, the leaves are left to air-dry in order to bring out their natural flavor.

Air-drying tobacco leads to fermentation in which the plant's nitrogen microbes fuse with oxygen ions in the air.

Fermentation brings out naturally occurring ammonia in the tobacco, increasing its acidity and allowing the body to absorb nicotine more efficiently. Because it's pasteurized, snus tobacco has less ammonia. Snus users have to be more patient to get their nicotine fix.

That's the trade-off for removing a cleaning product from your tobacco. One 2-gram portion of snus gives a boost in blood nicotine concentration of around 15 nanograms one-billionth of a gram per milliliter of tobacco within 30 minutes. 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. Snus is, of course, a smokeless product, that takes the form of a small soft pouch that somewhat resembles a tea bag, containing tobacco, water, salt, and other food-grade additives to enhance aroma and for preservation purposes.

Snus is placed under the upper lip and usually left there for up to an hour for the user to enjoy the flavour and nicotine release, without the need for spitting as the contents can be swallowed. There is a great effort made in the quality control, safety, and hygiene of real Swedish snus, making these products very premium.

Chew Bags - Smokeless tobacco laws, unfortunately, mean that snus is illegal in the United Kingdom. To combat this issue, chew bags were developed.

Chew bags are based on chewing tobacco in the sense that they are designed to be chewed to release the nicotine, but also resemble snus as they can be placed under the lip with no requirement to spit, therefore enabling U.

Shop Chew Bags Here. Nicotine Pouches - Nicotine pouches are the most recent instalment in the smokeless tobacco product range, which are rapidly increasing in popularity, especially in the U. Nicotine pouches are tobacco-free, all-white pouches that are discreet and contain synthetic nicotine, stabilisers, fillers, flavourings, PH adjusters and sweeteners.

Shop Nicotine Pouches Here. Some Common Areas of Confusion and Differences. Contrary to popular belief, nicotine pouches are not the same as snus. Nicotine pouches are similar in essence to snus, being small pouches that are placed under the lip for a steady release of nicotine, making them both easily confused as the same product, however, there is one major difference between the two — nicotine pouches are tobacco-free, and snus contains tobacco.

The presence or absence of tobacco in a smokeless product is a key point in understanding the differences between these products for multiple reasons. The first point to consider is flavour. This guide will introduce you to some of the most well-known smokeless tobacco products, covering the main differences between each, as well as UK availability.

As an alternative to cigarettes, cigars and other smoking products, smokeless tobacco comes in a wide variety of flavours, textures and strengths, delivering nicotine without many of the effects of burning and inhaling.

It is generally agreed that smokeless tobacco products carry fewer health hazards than cigarettes, and we are not currently aware of any direct links between smokeless tobacco and lung cancer; however, smokeless tobacco is not free of health risks and can promote nasal, oral and other major problems.

Smokeless tobacco products are used in most countries globally, however South and Eastern Asia, Scandinavia and some Central African countries see the widest use. Snuff is a smokeless tobacco product that is processed into a powder and inhaled into the front of the nose by the user.

It comes in a wide assortment of strengths, flavours and consistencies. Nasal snuff has seen a growth in popularity in recent years, particularly with young people pursuing smoke free substitutes.

Snuff can be taken in a number of different ways, including pinching with fingers, placing on the back of your hand or anatomical snuffbox , or by using a snuff bullet. For more information about snuff, read our Beginner's Guide to Snuff Tobacco. Yes, snuff tobacco products are widely available in the UK, both online and at your local tobacconist. Along with chewing tobacco, it is one of the only smokeless tobacco products that are legal to sell in the UK currently. Snus, which may be confused with snuff due to the similar name and powdery texture, is a completely different smokeless tobacco product.

It is not illegal to be in possession of snus tobacco, nor is it illegal to use it; however, it has been banned from sale in the EU since It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product — including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes — to anyone under FDA will provide additional details on this issue as they become available, and the information on this page will be updated accordingly in a timely manner.

If you have questions about importing a specific tobacco product, please contact the FDA district into which your product will be imported. If you have experienced an unexpected health or safety issue with a specific tobacco product, you can report a problem with any tobacco product to FDA. Knowledge about adverse experiences can help FDA identify health or safety issues beyond those normally associated with product use.