Share your Snus Story.

[heders]

How does the typical Scandinavian woman view snus? Is it considered normal, or is it weird and rednecky?

The typical Swedish woman views snus as something normal since it is so ingrained in our society. However, that does not mean most of them approve of it. For many it is even a deal breaker.

The brand and type of snus plays a role here though. Women generally hates loose snus, but may be OK with a white portion like Göteborgs Rapé.

[WZRD]

I have a very addictive personality (my dad has issues with certain unmentionables and anything I take interest in I do constantly until I get sick of it.) I've gotten pretty good at controlling myself and if I enjoy something these days I will prevent myself from "playing it out". in highschool I started to experiment which got me expelled and in legal trouble which pushed me into those horrible yet legal designer chemicals commonly referred to as "spice". That got really out of hand and, thanks to whatever higher powers exist, I was able to switch to cigarettes. After getting a job cigarettes really didn't seem very practical as I was pressure washing housing complexes in 100 degree weather and felt 100 pounds heavier than I was. I do alot of googling daily with just random questions I come up with and somehow ended up researching snus, this awesome community and the fun of looking at flavors to get had me hooked before I even placed an order. after getting my shipment (and learning the newbie lesson to avoid Northerner) I was surprised to the fact that I enjoyed it almost immediately despite many users saying it's more an acquired taste, although the saltier versions did take some getting use to. Still a newb but setting up my next order at snuscentral of a "bag'o'snus" and some of that olde ving I've been hearing soo much about, really excited cuz coffee and fudge flavors sound amazeballs.

[OttR]

It's four weeks since I've had a cigarette - a fact that I still find amazing and wonderful. And it's thanks to snus and the helpful people here on this forum (including one in particular who was very helpful who's no longer here) and everyone who ever shared their story of quitting smoking with snus.

A few (four?) years back, on a different forum somewhere, I read about Swedish snus for the first time. It was a discussion posted by someone who had used snus to quit smoking. I wish I could remember where it was and who posted it, because I want to thank that person. That caught my interest, of course. A for-real easy way to quit smoking? That still lets me have nicotine? That's virtually safe? I must know more!

When I get interested in something, I tend to get really interested in it, almost obsessive. I went on a mission to learn everything I could about this thing called Swedish snus. I read everything I could find, and that search led me here, of course.

Once I was pretty educated about snus and sure I wanted to try it, I found some General White at a local tobacco shop. (I've never tried the American Camel snus, and I'm oddly kinda proud of that .) I wasn't sure what to expect when I first tried it, but it turned out to be pretty good. And most importantly, I could see the potential it had for getting me off the cigarettes.

So why did it take me 4 years?

Well, a week into my first snus experiment, I had a bad reaction to it that made me stop using snus for a while. I know now why that happened and I wish I had known then. It would have saved me a few years of smoking (and I could have got some brands that aren't available here now! ).

So it was a combination of things and my ignorance made me quit snus the first time. Sigh. I said to myself I would just quit smoking the old-fashioned way. Hah. That didn't happen.

I thought about trying snus again a while later, but what do you know, I had terrible timing then, too. That was just before PACT happened and this forum was full of doom and gloom - snus wasn't going to be available in America any more and even if it was, it would be ridiculously expensive. Everyone was stocking up and freaking out. So I got discouraged about it again and forgot about it again.

Until a couple months ago. Still smoking. Still needed to quit. Hey remember snus? What happened with that? Can I still get it here? I should try that again.

I did. And this time I got it right.

"The snus will win." That phrase was repeated here a lot. I had hoped it would be true. Quitting smoking with snus wasn't totally effortless; I did have to make a decision and put some conscious effort into it. But it happened: The cigarettes became fewer and fewer. Then one day, after about a month, I said, "Hey, why not just go a whole day without smoking? It really won't be a big deal." And it wasn't. I still had some cravings for cigarettes for a while, but they weren't bad and easily dealt with by having another snus! Those cravings are very infrequent now, and the smell of cigarettes is just so horrid now that I doubt I'll have another. It's so damn nice to not care about cigarettes.

The snus won.

[AussieSnuser]

Started smoking when I was 13.Smoked roll your own tobaccos mostly as I enjoyed the taste better than tailor mades and the packs of roll your own tobacco were better value.Also enjoyed the ritual of rolling my own.
In 2000 I was diagnosed with COPD and although I made an attempt to stop smoking it did not last long.The COPD was not so serious at that stage that I was overly concerned and I enjoyed my tobacco too much to care.
As the years passed the COPD got worse and I had no choice but to take it seriously,so I first tried giving up cold turkey.This worked for a while but did not last.
Tried acupuncture,hypnosis,and 'magic' tinctures,all of which cost money but in the end provided no lasting results.
In between trying all of these I would find myself sliding back into smoking and my lungs were just not coping anymore.
Then came lozenges,patches,gum,and cartridges.The patches gave me nightmares.The lozenges were too much like candy.
The cartridges hurt my lungs.And the gum had artificial sweeteners that just did not agree with me.
About 3 years ago,I met a woman who was on work experience here in Australia.I can't remember how the conversation evolved to my use of NRT's but she told me that she would give me something new to try which may help me to stop smoking for good but which would still satisfy my craving for nicotine and also tobacco.
I have to say that I was puzzled.How could anything satisfy my craving for nicotine and also tobacco but also help me to stop smoking?
The next time that I saw her she handed me a can of Ettan.When I opened the can for the first time,I was even more puzzled.Then she went into a basic description of how to use this tobacco and gave me a demonstration.
I will never forget my first pinch of Ettan.As soon as I had it in my mouth I knew that I was in love....the tobacco taste that I had been craving and the nicotine but without smoking.Why hadn't anyone told me about this Ettan before?Why had I never seen it before?
My friend kept me in supply of Ettan for almost 3 years.Even after leaving Australia she would send me a can of Ettan every couple of weeks.I have never been tempted to smoke a cigarette since that day and my breathing has improved.
A few months ago,my friend move again and could no longer send me the Ettan that I had learned to love,so I did what I should have done a long time ago and 'googled' Ettan.And there began a whole new journey in snus....
I had never considered that there was anything other than Ettan los available.As my friend always made sure that my supply of Ettan did not run out,I had no reason to look for an alternative supply.
I've now got my regular Ettan los being delivered but have also ventured out and purchased other brands.The portion thing has been a big learning curve,though.I'm not sure that my tastes will ever fully adjust to portions but I have purchased a variety and will keep trying them.
Forums such as these have helped me to decide which of the many products available may suit my tastes.I have to say that I've now got a great selection but still find myself reaching for the Ettan los.Maybe this is partly due to this snus being the one that helped me to cross over.
I will be ever grateful to my Swedish friend for having introduced me to such a perfect tobacco experience.

[mc89]

I was never a smoker or anything. I just wanted to try snus for myself. I never even did dip. The benefits and discreet nature seemed cool. I was 18 when I tried it and now I'm 24. I started with Camel frost and Marlboro green. I didn't do it often, off and on. I started up bog again 3 months ago. It's something I can stop anytime but I enjoy it. I tried general and realized what real snus was. I became amazed with the selection of swedish snus and did my first snus central order for tons of weird flavors. I knew it was for me. I'll never be outta stock. I love being able to indulge in cinnamon, watermelon or berry. I love the relaxing buzz and just enjoy it. I started just for the hell of it and have no regrets. It's my way to relax.

[Shavasana]

I first tried (the dreaded) Camel Snus about 2 years ago when I first noticed it on the shelves of the convenience stores around here and failed at using it to quit cigs. I tried again when I learned that some of the local cigar shops sold General Snus (Portion, White, Mint, Mini Mint, Wintergreen and Los). Did okay for a while and then relapsed to cigs again. About four months ago I decided to give Snus another go (my wife had just switched to the E-Cig, it didn't work for me, too sci-fi and too easy. I need a little tradition and a little ritual, y'know?) and placed an order at snuscetral.com feeling like a kid in a candy store. This time it worked. I think the difference was finally having the strong and extra strong options available. I am now a happy snuser. I still keep a pouch of Peter Stokkebye's Danish Export on hand for "emergencies," (I end up smoking about 4 or 5 times a week) but I just placed my first order of nasal snuff hoping that it will quell my need for a quick fix and I can finally be 100% smoke-free.

[wufpackj]

I was an avid cigar smoker, nothing fancy, cheap to mid grade ones. Smokin at work and around the family was difficult. I grew tired of always having to brave the elements in the winter to have a puff. I read about camel snus and tried it. It was good for a while. The taste was a little over powering and heartburn inducing. I tried to no avail to find a Swedish alternative to the Camel. Thankfully there are a couple stores in my town that now carry General( Swedish match). I really enjoy this much more. It is only available in portions but in 3 varieties. I am the only one that buys it at my local store. It is delightful to have one while working. I also appreciate the fact I do not have to spit or carry a cup to do so in. I tried snuff for a brief period but it was too cumbersome and my wife kept mistaking my spit cup for a drink. Imagine her disgust when she gulped down a bit of warm spit. Anyway I'm glad I have discovered a fun way to enjoy tobacco.

[trebli]

I was an avid cigar smoker, nothing fancy, cheap to mid grade ones. Smokin at work and around the family was difficult. I grew tired of always having to brave the elements in the winter to have a puff. I read about camel snus and tried it. It was good for a while. The taste was a little over powering and heartburn inducing. I tried to no avail to find a Swedish alternative to the Camel. Thankfully there are a couple stores in my town that now carry General( Swedish match). I really enjoy this much more. It is only available in portions but in 3 varieties. I am the only one that buys it at my local store. It is delightful to have one while working. I also appreciate the fact I do not have to spit or carry a cup to do so in. I tried snuff for a brief period but it was too cumbersome and my wife kept mistaking my spit cup for a drink. Imagine her disgust when she gulped down a bit of warm spit. Anyway I'm glad I have discovered a fun way to enjoy tobacco.

I agree, I like General better than Camel too. Welcome to SnusOn!

[SunnyHours]

In an attempt to quit smoking, a year ago I made my first foray in E-Cigs. I have to admit it was mostly because I wanted to escape the Cold Season here in Canada...
It actually worked pretty well and I stayed off cigs for the most part, except a cig here and there. So I had escaped one of my coldest winters...-50°c with the humidity.
Then the summer came around and I went right back to smoking. In the middle of the summer I started coughing a lot and also spitting some pretty disgusting gunk.
So I decided to start using the e-cig again, and so I did. For about 2-3 month it was very successful, except when I was drinking. I don't drink anymore, except for the 1 or 2 drams of fine Whiskeys :P
During those 2-3 months I was really into the hobby and I got a bunch of e-liquid samplers, ego batteries, tanks, etc. I even purchased the one and only Provari! (which I am selling BTW)
Eventually I needed my other Tobacco Alkaloids so I bought some WholeCig WTA e-juice. It tasted terrible to me, I'm somewhat picky as to the juices flavors. People find them very nice and I end up hating it...anyways, I decided it was time for something else. So I did as usual and started browsing the web in quest for a solution. I found a smokeless tobacco forum, and there was no way in hell I'd be spitting black stuff all day long so dip was out of the question. Just the thought of spilling the contents of a Mudjug, or even emptying it's contents in the toilet makes me gag. Ark!!

So then I found 2 contenders to the tittle of WCCK or World Champion of Cigarette Knockout. Nasal Snuff, which I've always been fascinated by, and only saw in movies. And Snus!
As you may of felt in my tone of writing (yes a new expression) I was excited to get into Snuffs. I had ordered a bunch of Snuffs, probably 14 different tins. Big tins, Smaller tins, tap boxes, snuff spoon and bullets. I went big! And ended up disappointed by most of what was inside my package. Some exceptions of course! Wilsons of Sharrows, Samuel Gawith, Poschl, and last but not least, Toque. To this day I am still married to WoS Tom Buck (though I'm not gay :P), Toque Quit and Raspberry Menthol.

After a few weeks of these I found out my poor sinuses didn't appreciate my large consumption of Snuffs. Therefore I decided to take the plunge on Snus, the Swedish kind of course! Having read all those wonderful studies by my Swede friends, I heard how Snus was pretty inoffensive both to the gums and to the mouth and body in general. So I ordered 5 cans, General Long white mint, Roda Lacket White, General mini classic and N&J Original Edge. At first I was using only the Roda Lacket. I tried the others and wasn't really a fan. Then I started using the General minis for bedtime. After a while I started loving them and got accustomed to the saltiness. I've actually come to love the saltiness! Now I've been using Snus and Snuff for over 2 months with no cravings for cigarettes, and I'm getting rid of all my vaping equipment (if anyone is interested give me a shout!).
That first 5 cans from buysnus.com was a bit of a turnoff though...it actually came with 55$ of customs and other fees. Let's just say I wasn't too thrilled about that, seeing as it was more than what I paid for the 5 cans+shipping.

Now I just received 2/3rds of my orders from SnusCentral.com and I've had no fees so far and it arrived under 4 days, from Sweden to Canada that was impressive! So even if the last package doesn't get through customs unharmed, I still have a much better deal so far with SnusCentral.com...anyways, that's my experience so far! And their customer service has been top notch so far!

[DanF]

Short story. "Long" lifetime.

I started smoking at nine. I loved everything about smoking.

Cigaretts (menthol) and cigars and dip for thirty years.

Quit all of it thirty years ago. Never touched any of it again.....until two month ago.

I always missed tobacco. For thirty long years.

Two months ago I said "Screw this" I found Swedish Snus!

I'm going to enjoy this 'till I check out of this short lifetime.

Bottom line for me.....after using Swedish Snus I really feel better physically then I have in a long time.

I'm not advising anyone to start or restart the nicotine journey in life if they have quit or have never started!!

But in my (whacky) case I am happy again.

Dan

[Ansel]

hey welcome Dan!

[DanF]

hey welcome Dan!

I actually found this forum from a guy who is following me on Twitter.

I'm home, again!

Dan

[Burnsey]

Hi Dan, welcome.

[DanF]

Hi Dan, welcome.

Thank you....glad I found you guys.

Dan

[rickcharles606]

I actually found this forum from a guy who is following me on Twitter.

I'm home, again!

Dan

That guy has a name, Dan....sheeesh, lol. Welcome to our snus home :-)