Snus vs nicotine pouches
Snus pouches have been around for a very long time, spanning right back to the 17th century where the first pouch was created. To this day, it remains hugely popular by patrons of Sweden, which is the country of origin for Snus. But recently, Nicotine Pouches have seen an entrance on to the consumer market and they are proving to be a popular choice for people to use for their Nicotine fix. But due to them being very similar design to one another, there is some confusion over which is which and what they actually contain.
In this article, I’m going to pit them head to head in a snus vs nicotine pouches battle and explain exactly what both of these things are, and what they do and try to determine which one is better to use. Let’s get into it!
What is snus?
As mentioned, Snus originates from Sweden and the first creation of a Snus pouch actually took place in the 1800s, where a small white pouch was filled with tobacco and given to royalty as a smokeless alternative for Nicotine. And it was from there that they evolved, and the usage of them in Sweden really took off around 1919 and continued to happen throughout the 20th century.
Snus is a small pouch that contains a moist tobacco mix, and the pouches are placed in the mouth normally between the upper lip and upper gum and the nicotine from within the tobacco mixture is then absorbed through the gum.
Snus has been banned from sale in the countries within the European Union as well as the United Kingdom (who are no longer part of the EU) since the early 1990s due to aggressive marketing techniques being deployed by the makers of Snus pouches as well as the authorities having a cause for concern for public health due to them containing tobacco which then also contain carcinogens.
Whilst many Snus manufacturers today limit the amount of carcinogens within the tobacco mix used in Snus, the concern still remains that the tobacco and carcinogens could lead to deadly diseases being contracted such as oral cancer.
Despite this, Snus is still hugely popular in Sweden, and the Snus usage rates now outweigh the number of adult smokers in Sweden and this has lead to the country nearly reaching “smoke free” status, meaning 5% or less of the countries adult population are classed as active/regular smokers, something not seen done by any other country so fair play to Sweden!
What is a nicotine pouch?
Nicotine Pouches do not have such a long history like what Snus does, and it wasn’t until the late 2000s that the first Nicotine Pouch was created and floated out on to the consumer market. And it then took a further decade of time to pass before they really started gaining traction and people started using them.
Nicotine Pouches are exactly what they say on the tin, small white pouches that contain a powder nicotine mixture, as well as flavourings and other essential ingredients needed to make the mixture remain moist so they work to their optimal levels.
The design of these pouches is very similar to what Snus pouches are as the inspiration was taken from Snus to create Nicotine Pouches so it is understandable for confusion to occur over which is which, but what they contain helps separate them from one another.
But what exactly is the difference between them I hear you ask? Let me explain!
snus vs Nicotine Pouches…What’s The Difference?
Going by the above break downs of what Snus is as well as what Nicotine Pouches are, you’ve probably established by now that the difference is…well, not a lot really.
They’re both designed as small white pouches, both come in cans with around 20 individual pouches inside of them, and both of them can be used as a Nicotine Replacement Therapy option, by being an oral nicotine product. But there is one glaringly obvious difference which you must have established by now surely?
Snus pouches contain actual tobacco, within the moist tobacco mix used where as Nicotine Pouches do not contain any form of tobacco at all and instead contains a powder nicotine mixture. And the other difference is Nicotine Pouches are free to be sold in all countries in the EU and the UK, whereas Snus is not.
Why choose nicotine pouches over Snus?
Here are some main of the main positive points of opting to use Nicotine pouches over Snus;
- Nicotine pouches are tobacco-free, and only contain Nicotine, flavourings and other necessary ingredients. Meaning the risk involved with using Nicotine Pouches is significantly minimal when compared to what the risks involved with using Snus is.
- Nic Pouches come in varying nicotine strengths, flavours and also pouch size as well. This gives the user full flexibility to pick a nicotine strength that would be suited to their specific needs, as well as picking a flavour that they enjoy and also the size of the pouches being varied helps as some may not want a large pouch and prefer to use a “Mini” pouch design.
- Due to the fact they contain actual tobacco, Snus can bring with it a very strong odour that remains on the breath when used as well as after from the tobacco used. Nicotine Pouches do not leave any trace of odour during or after use.
- Nicotine pouches will not stain your teeth like what Snus can do because of the tobacco included. Nicotine from Nicotine Pouches will not stain your teeth like what the nicotine extracted from tobacco in Snus potentially could.
- Nicotine pouches are fully legal and easy to purchase in the UK. Whereas you will not be able to buy Snus from any retailer due to the EU wide ban imposed in the early 90s.
- Nicotine pouches have a longer life than Snus. Both when being used and when not. Unopened tins will last a long time in a cold place. Ensure you store your tins in a cool dark place to avoid them getting spoilt.
Ready to switch to nicotine pouches?
Want to read more about nicotine pouches or are you ready to give it a shot? Read more from our blog on how you can quit smoking and switch to nicotine pouches or check our most liked products.
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