Northerner Purified TSNA Question...

[kingrex10]

Hi Everyone,

Love the community, thanks for keeping it going, hope you can help... I quit smoking 4 years ago with snus. Worked like a charm. For many on the forums, snus is about flavor, texture, nutty oakiness, etc. For me, snussing is really all about nicotine delivery (and the gum/patches DID NOT work for me... god, I tried 'em all). I quit smoking for health reasons and tried to find the "healthiest" snus.

When I first started, the Northerner Purified brand was called "Wise" (now called "Oomph"). The product information said that TSNA (tobacco carcinogens) rate was "lower than nicotine replacement products such as gum." As American regulatory agencies got more involved with snus, this information was removed from the product description (and replaced with vague "health/purity" terms).

Here's my question- how "safe" is Northerner Purified snus? I can't get the TSNA numbers, but previous research and by checking online suggests that it is really, really low.

Basically, I hope that is the case. I want to minimize my risks and stay healthy. I'm scared to quit snus (in this case the "Purified" variety) because I never, ever, ever want to be tempted to smoke again. Does anyone out there have information or links? It would go a long way towards easing my mind as I continue to be a regular "snusser"

Thanks everyone!!!

[Ansel]

The Northerner purified portions will contain a negligible amount of TSNAs if any at all. Unfortunately they [Northerner Purified portions] don't contain all the alkaloids found in tobacco and like nicotine replacement products they are just nicotine on its own which is at best ineffective to those who had been habituated to a cigarette smoking habit. IMHO. YMMV.

[Frosted]

I'd agree with Ansel here. If it was all I could get I'd use it - but not for the low TSNA. Regular snus is low in TSNA anyway - the scientific results can't drag up any cases of oral cancer.

[Ansel]

(and the gum/patches DID NOT work for me... god, I tried 'em all)

Which makes me think you won't get on very well with the purified portions.

[Frankie Reloaded]

They do work well for me: but I also use other types, the purified is sort of too expensive

One thing that goes for them is that they act much quicker than normal snus.

[chainsnuser]

The TSNA in snus are only measured once in a decade or so. The Swedish government considers them as insignificant ... and they are. They are only measured to assess the cleanliness of the snus-production facilities, not to estimate the health risks of the produced snus. The same measurements take place in other food-producing plants. The TSNA in snus are generally so low that they shouldn't be more of a concern than the NA in practically all types of food.

There is no difference between nitrosamines in food and nitrosamines in tobacco. The "TS" is just a nonsense-distinction, made up by tobacco-haters. Tobacco is just a vergetable.

The risks of tobacco use come solely from the smoke, with it's thousands of randomly produced combustion-byproducts.

The whole TSNA-talk is in fact either scaremongering by underemployed scientists who have no better things to do, or the result of a very successful marketing campaign by a certain snus-producer.

I wouldn't worry a single second about the TSNAs in snus. In fact, to be on the safe side, I'd rather use some old fashioned brands with their 200 year history than these modern, "purified" varieties, of which nobody knows how exactly they are produced.

To be clear, nitrosamines are not risk-free, but in this regard you should be much more worried about eating in an unknown restaurant than about using any of the Swedish snus-brands. They all have food-grade purity. Just watch one of the videos about Swedish snus-factories.

Back to the question: I've never seen any TSNA-data for the purified brands, but some other members can certainly help.

Cheers!

[halocog]

Safety wise, I'd bet they're about the same. Purified or not. Personally, and for the price, I'd just go for plain snus.

[truthwolf1]

I found with the wise you get hit with nicotine in one bang and then it is gone. Tobacco comes on slower and leaves slower.

[Ainkor]

I don't have a link to it, but if I recall properly its less than 0.5 PPM whereas normal snus has between 1-5. I could be wrong but that's what is coming to mind. It's been since 2008 or so that I've seen any direct info about them.

[GoVegan]

I like Northerner snus but find the price prohibitive. At one time, There was a discussion about packaging these in bulk to save money but I haven't heard anything recently.

[Reynard]

Unfortunately they [Northerner Purified portions] don't contain all the alkaloids found in tobacco

Really, mate? What do purifieds contain then, if not tobacco?

[lxskllr]

Really, mate? What do purifieds contain then, if not tobacco?

It's tobacco, but highly...erm... purified. It's been modified so heavily it barely qualifies imo. I think it's reason for existing is as an end run around drug regulations. In the USA(probably most first world countries too), nicotine replacement(and all drugs) have to go through extensive, and expensive testing. By using tobacco, it's just anther tobacco product, albeit heavily modified, so it can be released cheaper, and with less oversight.

[Reynard]

It's tobacco, but highly...erm... purified. It's been modified so heavily it barely qualifies imo. I think it's reason for existing is as an end run around drug regulations. In the USA(probably most first world countries too), nicotine replacement(and all drugs) have to go through extensive, and expensive testing. By using tobacco, it's just anther tobacco product, albeit heavily modified, so it can be released cheaper, and with less oversight.

Ah ok, do you know how long since its inception?

[lxskllr]

Ah ok, do you know how long since its inception?

Not really. It was around under the Wise name in 2007 when I started with snus. I wouldn't expect it was much older than that. It probably started with burgeoning snus movement, so maybe the early-mid 2000s?

Edit:
I found a forum post from Nov 2006 mentioning Wise, so at least that long ago.

Edit2:
This is the forum I got that from. You old timers may enjoy reminiscing about old brands, and new guys can see some of them for the first time. Not much there, and the only posts were from 2006, but kind of cool :^)

http://snusforum.com/

[Reynard]

Thanks for your research lx, well 2006 is quite young, I gather tre ankare released their portions in '77. Any idea if purifieds are popular in Sweden? When I went to Goteborg with Ansel people seemed to mainly use regular portions. We were mainly on lös hehe.