Snus is Gonna Take Over!

[groverthesnake]

Seriously, I've been thinking a bit lately about the tobacco industry.
HARM REDUCTION IS REAL!
I think cigarettes are on the way out, for the most part.
The health care industry....the insurance companies, just so much money at stake.
We are just witnessing the very early stages of the conversion to smokeless.
Right now, the big American tobacco companies are just thinking about snus as an alternative to smoking, when you can't light up.
That will change in the future.
What are your thoughts?

[Ragnar]

I think you're obviously correct that cigarettes are on their way out. I'm not sure any tobacco products will ever be embraced by the public, though (nearly harmless or not).

Even the e-cigarette isn't getting the support it deserves from the anti-smoking busybodies. Example: Already, the airlines have caught on and are making sure to remind passengers "electronic cigarettes are not permitted for use aboard flights." (from a flight I was on last week between Minneapolis and Seattle) Why not, jack-holes?

It would be unfortunate if "harm reduction" wasn't given a chance. I know in my case, I'm thankful for how snus has improved my health.

Then again... if snus catches on, my closet-hipster fantasy of being the only real-life snuser I know will go away. This is totally off the topic, but I wonder how many snusophiles would resent it, if snus became "too popular."

[Veganpunk]

Then again... if snus catches on, my closet-hipster fantasy of being the only real-life snuser I know will go away. This is totally off the topic, but I wonder how many snusophiles would resent it, if snus became "too popular."

Lol, I know what you mean. It's kinda neat being so few.

[groverthesnake]

Ragnar, the public will definitely embrace any nicotine supplying product
that is not illegal or cost prohibitive, is as satisfying as snus is, and is heavily marketed by the big tobacco companies.

[lofat]

Then again... if snus catches on, my closet-hipster fantasy of being the only real-life snuser I know will go away. This is totally off the topic, but I wonder how many snusophiles would resent it, if snus became "too popular."

Lol, I know what you mean. It's kinda neat being so few.

George Clooney snusing on the cover of people magazine hmmm.

[Veganpunk]

Then again... if snus catches on, my closet-hipster fantasy of being the only real-life snuser I know will go away. This is totally off the topic, but I wonder how many snusophiles would resent it, if snus became "too popular."

Lol, I know what you mean. It's kinda neat being so few.

George Clooney snusing on the cover of people magazine hmmm.

Just because Nipple Batman does it, doesn't mean anything!

[Ragnar]

Ragnar, the public will definitely embrace any nicotine supplying product
that is not illegal or cost prohibitive, is as satisfying as snus is, and is heavily marketed by the big tobacco companies.

I don't think tobacco users make up enough of society to qualify them as "the public." I think, in the U.S., about 25% of adults use some sort of tobacco product on a regular basis. Of the 75% that don't, I imagine most of them would prefer we just all "get some willpower" and quit.

Tobacco marketing isn't what it used to be. I remember when there were smoking advertisements on every other page of Sports Illustrated. Things have changed -- there isn't even a "Winston Cup" anymore.

I love Snus, and Snuson.com, but we aren't a good representation of "the public."

--Clooney was using snus on the cover of People magazine? That makes me want to snus less...

[lxskllr]

Nothing good will come from more Americans using snus. The numbers we have are already negatively affecting our hobby, and it'll only get worse with time.

[groverthesnake]

Tobacco is not going away. A significant percentage of the populace will always use tobacco.
What I'm saying is that there will be a gradual (driven by money) conversion to snus.

[Veganpunk]

Tobacco is not going away. A significant percentage of the populace will always use tobacco.
What I'm saying is that there will be a gradual (driven by money) conversion to snus.

Which will make our snus cost more.

[groverthesnake]

Nothing good will come from more Americans using snus. The numbers we have are already negatively affecting our hobby, and it'll only get worse with time.

lxskllr, its not a "hobby"
Humans will always need a chemical crutch.
Nicotine will be more socially acceptable, for a long time.
I see the popularity of snus as being a plus, because HARM REDUCTION IS REAL!
Money talks, the insurance companies and the tobacco giants are well aware.

[lxskllr]

Nothing good will come from more Americans using snus. The numbers we have are already negatively affecting our hobby, and it'll only get worse with time.

lxskllr, its not a "hobby"
Humans will always need a chemical crutch.
Nicotine will be more socially acceptable, for a long time.
I see the popularity of snus as being a plus, because HARM REDUCTION IS REAL!
Money talks, the insurance companies and the tobacco giants are well aware.

I disagree. Tobacco is the grand pariah, and "society" won't be happy until it's gone. Pharmaceutical companies will be more than happy to step in to deliver suitable drugs, at a suitable profit to keep people from using the devil weed.

[groverthesnake]

Well eventually, Pharma might possibly win out.
In the short term, I think that smokeless, particularly snus, is going to
supplant cigs.

[RRK]

Tobacco is not going away. A significant percentage of the populace will always use tobacco.
What I'm saying is that there will be a gradual (driven by money) conversion to snus.

Which will make our snus cost more.

Nah, I think thats assuming too much about the production and demand of tobacco. I don't think we are producing anywhere near our capacity of tobacco and we don't know what affect switching from cigarettes to snus has on the industrial demand for tobacco.

In fact, I would assume that like most things, higher production would lower cost per unit.

But in better relation to the OP, I totally think the big tobacco companies have been planning this transition since they decided to give in to the whole idea that producing cigarettes is somehow immoral. IMO they have been manipulating the industry and the politicians so that they can maintain dominance while switching products. Otherwise their behavior over the last 10-15 years is suicidal. I remember writing on here that I thought they were waiting to get a "diminished risk" (or whatever) approval thing before starting to influence public opinion in favor of snus. I could even imagine that they may try to control the timing of such an approval to coincide with their own timelines and now they are pushing for it.

[adm]

Ragnar, the public will definitely embrace any nicotine supplying product
that is not illegal or cost prohibitive, is as satisfying as snus is, and is heavily marketed by the big tobacco companies.

I think you meant to say:

the public will definitely embrace any product that is heavily marketed by the big tobacco companies