A bit about snus on the Cancer Reseach UK website

[holnrew]

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/hea...kelesstobacco/

What is snus?

Snus is a special type of smokeless tobacco that is used in Sweden. It is banned in most other countries in the EU. Snus is manufactured using a special process that considerably lowers the levels of TSNAs in the finished product. Because of this, snus may be less dangerous other types of smokeless tobacco.

And it is not clear if snus has any other health risks. For example, one study found that snus increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, but not mouth cancer. And it still contains nicotine so, like all other tobacco products, it is highly addictive.

It is possible that ‘snus’ could be used specifically to help hardcore smokers, who are unlikely to quit through other means, to stop smoking altogether. But before we suggest introducing it in to the UK, more research is needed to see if it would help hardcore smokers to quit. And we must examine other potential intended and unintended effects of introducing it in to the UK.

It seems pretty interesting, of course they're going to be wary of it, but they don't sound all out against it like the other forms of oral tobacco. I find it quite encouraging that they're at least thinking about recommending it for sale in the UK.

Does anybody know of the study that found it can lead to pancreatic cancer?

If you have read the rest of the article (If that's what it is?) it says about the tobacco used by people from the Indian sub continent which is extremely high in TSNAs, it bothers me that this is allowed while snus isn't.

[KarlvB]

holnrew, here are some of the posts where this issue was discussed (along with other research)

http://snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=918

http://snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=2255

http://snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=875

Also check out the SCENIHR reports

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/c...nihr_o_013.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/c...nihr_o_009.pdf

and the research from New Zealand

http://nzhta.chmeds.ac.nz/publicatio...ss_tobacco.pdf

Hope this helps

K

[holnrew]

Many thanks.

[ponysoprano]

I'm willing to take my chances, I'm a 2 time massive [quantity and size] pulmonary emboli survivor...I simply cannot smoke anymore, I finally realized that after a 10 day stay in ICU for pneumonia in February. Plus, if it weren't for my snus obsession, I wouldn't get to share such unecessary medical details with 'strangers' like you guys! lol :roll:

[snusjus]

I don't understand why snus is banned in so many European countries. The studies show that it's extremely less harmful than cigarettes. It's obvious that cigarettes pose way more danger than smokeless tobacco!

[holnrew]

Yes it makes no sense to say snus is bad and allow cigarettes.

Surely it's better to have the lesser of two evils? It makes no sense to have the greater risk.

[snusjus]

Yes it makes no sense to say snus is bad and allow cigarettes.

Surely it's better to have the lesser of two evils? It makes no sense to have the greater risk.

If the cancer institute is worried about pancreatic cancer, they should also realize that cigarette smokers are twice as likely to develop it than snus users. As well, even users of high nitrosamine smokeless tobacco (American dip, chew...) are 98% less likely to die from tobacco use than cigarette smokers.

[---Nicotinic Acid---]

Snus and nasal snuff are no more harmful than coffee. I think the powers that be are mostly focused on the "addictive" aspects of nicotine. What they're not considering is that an "addiction" isn't really a big deal if its A) legal and B) does not impair an individual's function, and C) does not result in societal ills.

ALCOHOL does not fit my arbitrary requirements for B and C, AND is definitively linked to cancers of the mouth/throat/larynx; and yet the focus remains on smokeless. Also, the associated health BENEFITS of nicotine far far far outweigh those of alcohol.

This is really F-ing stupid. Not saying ban alcohol, but risk association should be pared with taxation; rather than the deluded belief that nicotine addiction is any sort of societal ill or impairment to the individual.

[KarlvB]

---Nicotinic Acid--- I take your point about how silly the laws are, but one can hardly argue that there are no risks associated with snus, or that it is akin to coffee. For that one only need to review the studies that have been done up to this point. Personally, I think a good solid of understanding of the risks posed by snus allows people to weigh up the pros and cons when deciding if snus is for them or not.

What we are in agreement about is the fact that snus is considerably less harmful to our health than cigarettes and that we have made the sensible choice as nicotine addicts (a club to which I proudly belong) to use the product that delivers our stimulant of choice in the safest and most enjoyable manner

[RobsanX]

I agree that there is a 100% greater risk of getting pancreatic cancer... So that means that 9,996 people who don't use snus will not get pancreatic cancer, and 9,992 people who use snus won't get pancreatic cancer either... Compared to all the other problems smoking causes, there's really no argument as to which is the least detrimental to your health...