Snus is a moist powder tobacco product, typically containing about 50 percent water, which is placed between the cheek and gum. It is a form of snuff that is consumed much like smokeless tobacco, but is unique in that it typically doesn't require the user to spit.

Snus is largely manufactured in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but is now being test marketed in the United States and several other countries.

Types of Snus

There are two main types of snus on the market. The first type is loose and requires the user to portion out a "pinch" for use. The second type, and more common variety, is prepackaged in small bags made from the same material as teabags. It is considered by users to be easier to handle than loose powder.

Health Effects of Snus Use

Snus also differs from smoking tobacco and traditional smokeless tobacco products in that it is steam-cured and not fire-cured, which means that it contains a lower amount of nitrosamines, a known cancer-causing agent. Snus also contains more nicotine than cigarettes and thus has the potential to lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.

Because it is a product that is placed in the mouth, the adverse health effects of snus use can be similar to smokeless tobacco use: increased risk of developing lesions in the mouth, gum recession, and cancer of the mouth or tongue. Also, a study published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2007 found that using snus doubled the risk of developing pancreatic cancer among its users. Since traditionally, many snus users also smoke, it has been difficult for researchers to study the impact of snus alone, but The Lancet study was able to just focus on those people who are non-smokers and only use snus.

Since snus is still a relatively new product to the United States, there haven't been many studies done on the health consequences of using snus long-term or as a substitute for smoking. More research is currently being done to assess the effects of snus use over time.

Snus Use in the U.S. and Globally

Snus is originally a product used heavily in Sweden to combat a high smoking rate, and as a result, about 12 percent of the Swedish population currently uses snus. The use of snus in other countries, including Sweden, dramatically increased following the passage of their indoor smoking bans.

Currently, there is no information available about the percentage of the U.S. population that uses snus. The product is still being test-marketed and is not yet as widely available as other tobacco products.

Marketing Snus

There are various snus products on the market, and many different companies are getting in the game of snus production and marketing. It's no surprise that the leading smokeless tobacco manufacturer in the country, US Smokeless Tobacco Company (USST), is test marketing the USST version of snus, Skoal Dry.

Surprisingly, the two largest cigarette companies in the country, Philip Morris and Reynolds American Tobacco Company (formerly RJ Reynolds), who historically have not manufactured smokeless tobacco options, have now developed their own snus products. Philip Morris, with Marlboro Snus, and Reynolds American Tobacco Company, with Camel Snus, began test marketing their products in select U.S. cities in 2007.