Snus and premature death

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  • darkwing
    Member
    • Oct 2007
    • 415

    Snus and premature death

    Fron The Local: Swedish News in English.

    Snus causes premature death
    Published: 19 Apr 08 09:46 CET
    Online: http://www.thelocal.se/11214/

    The use of snus, Swedish moist tobacco, causes premature death, a new 30-year study has shown. Of the 10,000 men studied a third died during the period. Most of them were smokers and common afflictions were heart and cancer-related illnesses.


    Skin cancer figures rising in Sweden (24 Mar 08)
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    Finnish ferry goes Swedish over snus ban (18 Jan 08)
    The use of snus has been found to increase the risk of premature death by around 10 percent in comparison with those who do not use any tobacco products, according to Upsala Nya Tidning.

    "Even if smoking is without question a much greater threat to health than snus our research rejects the view that the use of Swedish snus is in principle without risk," said Dr.Ann Roosaar at the Odontological Institute at Karolinska Institutet in Solna.

    The study began in the middle of the 1970s with the examination of the mouths of most of the inhabitants in the municipalities of Enköping and Håbo. The subjects also answered questions about their tobacco and alcohol habits.

    In contrast to previous studies this one shows that mouth and throat cancers were more common among users of snus, according to Roosaar.


    TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)
  • TropicalBob
    Member
    • Feb 2008
    • 316

    #2
    I'm sorry to say this makes sense. Tobacco is not benign in any use.

    And I'm extremely sorry to say this will be used by anti-tobacco forces to argue that only a ban on tobacco use will protect the public health. I'm a nicotine addict who believes in harm reduction, and my use of snus owes its start to discovery of that fact. Does anyone doubt that snus are less harmful than cigarettes?

    But in America, I already see "No Tobacco Use on This Property" signs replacing "No Smoking" signs.

    If someone sees a great white light at the end of this anti-tobacco tunnel, please let me in on how we get there. I see only more bans, more regulation and more prohibition ahead of us.

    Comment

    • CWC
      Member
      • Mar 2008
      • 114

      #3
      Re: Snus and premature death

      Originally posted by darkwing
      The use of snus, Swedish moist tobacco, causes premature death, a new 30-year study has shown. Of the 10,000 men studied a third died during the period. Most of them were smokers and common afflictions were heart and cancer-related illnesses.
      Why is it that the studies that are supposed to show the effects of snus always contain smokers, ex-smokers (long term) and other tobacco users? I cannot believe in Sweden they cannot find a group to do a study on the use of snus (and not other versions of snuff) only.

      Originally posted by darkwing
      In contrast to previous studies this one shows that mouth and throat cancers were more common among users of snus, according to Roosaar.
      Again is this from a study of snus use only? Why is it with cigarettes you can get full detail of a study with percentages, types of tobacco used, ect. When it comes to snus you get broad statements based on incomplete studies? I am not saying snus is not harmful but it would help the antisnus cause if they could back up there statements with complete research on the product, a product that has been around at least in Sweden for a long time.

      Comment

      • STORM6490MT
        Member
        • Mar 2008
        • 138

        #4
        I'd be a bit skeptical about a study that started in the 70's. Who funded this project and how did they control the experiment? What was their objective. Did they use controls that didn't smoke or didn't snus? Were they using Swedish Snus? Who purchased the snus?

        Sounds like a load of crap.

        All things in moderation.

        Comment

        • bondzai
          Member
          • Apr 2008
          • 362

          #5
          only 10%

          well it says it increases the odds of premature death by 10% . I wonder how much cigarettes increases the odds?

          http://www.thelocal.se/11214/20080419/

          Comment

          • bondzai
            Member
            • Apr 2008
            • 362

            #6
            FWIW Psych drugs

            I hear psych drugs increase the risk of premature death too. I wonder what doesn't

            Comment

            • darkwing
              Member
              • Oct 2007
              • 415

              #7
              Increasing risk by 10% is statistically insignificant and doesn't warrant reporting. It is an RR of 1.1, and in epidemiology anything less than a 2.0 is suspect. 2.0 means a double risk. A 1 or lower means no effect or a beneficial one. Good grief! Even the lame second hand cigarette smoke research can squeeze ot a 1.3 or a 1.8 for those who live a lifetime with a chain smoker...

              Comment

              • TropicalBob
                Member
                • Feb 2008
                • 316

                #8
                I agree that 10% is insignificant in a flawed study, but ...

                The anti's will argue that this fortifies their conclusion that all tobacco use is harmful and thus must be eliminated. If America's 46-million cigarette smokers switched to the "harm reduction" snus, we'd have 4.6-million dying prematurely, they'll argue. So 10% has meaning to them because of the large numbers involved.

                The anti's seem hell-bent on "Quit or Die" as the only acceptable message to tobacco users.

                Comment

                • chainsnuser
                  Senior Member
                  • Jan 2007
                  • 1388

                  #9
                  Tropical Bob, you're right about the way, the "10% risk" is intended to be understood, but actually it is calculated differently.

                  A risk that is increased by 10% means, e.g., that if 5.0% of non-tobacco-users die prematurely, then 5.5% of snus-users die prematurely. This increased risk is not only insignificant in a flawed study but in every study about human beings, because you cannot control all the life-circumstances of the snus-users, as well as you can't say, if not all the non-tobacco-users just had better health insurances than the snus users, who back in the 70's were almost all working-class-people.

                  What I also find remarkable, is the fact, that every increased risk of tobacco use, no matter if statistically insignificant, is used by the anti-tobacco-workers in an excessive and misleading way, while the lower cases of certain diseases (which BTW are also statistically irrelevant from what I have read) are never even mentioned.

                  Now, if smokers face a risk, that is elevated by 1000% then it is statistically significant, even in a flawed study, but with these "10% risks" a responsible health-professional wouldn't say anything against snus, just not to discourage any smoker, who thinks about switching. This much about how many of the anti-tobacco-workers are responsible persons, who behave reasonably. None of them are!

                  Cheers!

                  Comment

                  • eumaledictio
                    New Member
                    • Mar 2008
                    • 7

                    #10
                    I found this article, too. The study is on non-smoker snus users over a 30 year period compared to non-tobacco users. They found an increase of pancreatic cancer. The article says that their study shows that out of 10,000 people, 4 non-tobacco users would get pancreatic cancer while 8 or 9 snusers (but still non-smokers) out of 10,000 would get pancreatic cancer. That effectively doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer, but your risk is still awfully low - 0.0008% compared to 0.0004%.
                    http://www.physorg.com/news97993016.html

                    Comment

                    • jamesstew
                      Member
                      • May 2008
                      • 1440

                      #11
                      A whole lot of reports have been released in the last couple of years attributing eating grilled meats to getting pancreatic cancer. However I have not found it in me yet to retire my old Weber. The tradeoff between the risks of smoing and switching to snus is something I can live with.

                      Comment

                      • Premium Parrots
                        Super Moderators
                        • Feb 2008
                        • 9758

                        #12
                        Personally I can't wait to die. I have stated in my will that, at my funeral, I want my mouth stuffed full of snus before they close the casket for the last time and put me in the ground. That should hold me over till I get to heaven. There, I'm sure God has, waiting for me, the very best snus ever...............and it free. Can't wait, I tell ya...........I just can't wait!!! I hear Elvis is buzy snusin in heaven now too.
                        Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of the people I killed because they were annoying......





                        I've been wrong lots of times.  Lots of times I've thought I was wrong only to find out that I was right in the beginning.


                        Comment

                        • yigs
                          Member
                          • Nov 2008
                          • 81

                          #13
                          i have a question about this statement

                          a new 30-year study has shown. Of the 10,000 men studied a third died during the period
                          so lets say for arguments sake that people start snusing at 20 and die at 70, that would mean that the average age of a snuser or smoker is 45 right? well if you add 30 years to the average snuser/smoker that would put them over the age of 70 well past their lifespan, so in theory more than a third shoudve died, more like 50+ percent shoudve.

                          maybe im reading it wrong, but statistics are all lies, and are all relative.

                          Comment

                          • bearcat87
                            Member
                            • Nov 2008
                            • 400

                            #14
                            YOU KNOW WHAT.....

                            Why are people that argue against tobacco and do not use it care (besides the cost to medicare and medicaid) if people die. I'm sorry but I do not really care if someone is an alcoholic or a pot head (S.D.) as long as I don't have to be around their foolishness or smoke. Anyone who uses tobacco knows there are risks and that should be the end of the discussion.

                            -Hey Bob?

                            -What Dave?

                            -You know your tobacco habit is bad for you right!?

                            -Yeah

                            -Ok just checking. So how about those Cardinals?

                            Why can't conversations just end at that? I get so sick of the crap some individuals give me. If anyone is smart enough to flick a lighter, dole out a pinch, or bake a pris, I think they know WHAT THE F%$CK THEY ARE RISKING!

                            Thats all

                            BTW... The subject of this post is depressing. I vote for changing it to "Snusing can lead to great pleasure and fewer years with an annoying wife"

                            Comment

                            • Jason
                              Member
                              • Jan 2008
                              • 1370

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Premium Parrots
                              Personally I can't wait to die. I have stated in my will that, at my funeral, I want my mouth stuffed full of snus before they close the casket for the last time and put me in the ground. That should hold me over till I get to heaven. There, I'm sure God has, waiting for me, the very best snus ever...............and it free. Can't wait, I tell ya...........I just can't wait!!! I hear Elvis is buzy snusin in heaven now too.
                              What if God likes Phantom? :P

                              Comment

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