Alarmist Headlines About Snus Use Amongst Footballers

Last month saw a number of newspapers such as the Daily Mail spreading panic about “The drug that is swamping football", referring to snus, the tobacco harm alternative that has helped Scandinavians drastically reduce smoking rates.

Diane Caruana

April 6, 2018

Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip for extended periods. It is considered as an effective harm reduction product which has helped thousands quit smoking and is extremely popular in Norway and Sweden, in fact the popularity of snus has led to these two countries reporting the lowest rates of lung cancer in Europe.

In Norway and Sweden not only is snus renowned for having led to a drastic drop in smoking rates, but has even led to Sweden boasting the lowest smoking rates in Europe.

This tobacco product is not not well known in the UK since it is banned locally and in most EU countries. However, in Norway and Sweden not only is it renowned for having led to a drastic drop in smoking rates but has even led to Sweden boasting the lowest smoking rates in Europe.

Sadly Today’s Sun described the safer alternative to smoking as “poison in the mouth” and “unequivocally a bad thing”, with a campaigner quoted as saying “whether you jump from the tenth storey of a building or the 20th, the effect is the same” in comparing it to smoking.

Newspaper headlines making unfounded claims

However, these headlines are wrong and sadly such unfounded statements are only spreading misinformation that could stop many smokers from switching to the safer tobacco alternative. In fact, a study published in the Lancet last year indicated no evidence of harm caused by long term use of snus.

“Smokers who are choosing alternatives to smoking need to hear real experts,not the nonsense on stilts served up by publicity hungry campaigners,” said Sarah Jakes, Chair of the New Nicotine Alliance, a charity that supports and campaigns for tobacco harm reduction.

Read Further: NNA