Snus originated in Sweden in the 18th century when farmers mixed ground tobacco leaves with water and salt and placed the mixture under the upper lip. However, its roots go back a long way: tobacco was used at least 12,000 years ago and came to Europe in 1560. Tobacco imports were first documented in Sweden in 1601.
From a dry snuff once favored by the French nobility, Swedish farmers developed a completely distinct tobacco product in the 18th century: Snus. This product shaped Swedish society so profoundly that when Sweden joined the EU in 1993, it was the only country to demand an exemption for its Snus tradition – a circumstance that still has an impact today. Anyone who knows the history of Snus also understands why it continues to play such a special role in Sweden to this day.
How long has Snus existed? Origins and development
The history of Snus does not begin in Sweden, but thousands of years earlier. Archaeological findings date the use of tobacco back at least 12,000 years – long before its arrival in Europe and long before the emergence of Snus. This makes tobacco one of humanity’s oldest consumer goods. When Columbus reached the “New World,” the leaf we now know as tobacco had already been chewed and smoked there for thousands of years. Tobacco only arrived in Europe in 1560, when the French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot de Villemain, sent tobacco seeds to the French king.*1
What quickly became a status symbol and luxury product among the nobility at the French court had little in common with today’s Snus: the so-called snuff was a dry, finely ground, and flavored tobacco powder consumed nasally. Snuff was especially popular among ladies at court, as it was considered more discreet and socially acceptable compared to other forms of tobacco.
Tobacco experienced its first peak in popularity around 1600, although not as a pleasure product, but as a supposed remedy. The medicine of that time attributed effects against headaches, colds, and numerous other ailments to it. Tobacco was even used as an insect repellent. It was only centuries later that awareness grew that chronic tobacco consumption (or tobacco abuse) is harmful to health.
Snus tradition in the 18th century – why Sweden?
Sweden came into contact with tobacco somewhat later: the earliest mention appears in a Stockholm customs document from 1601, which recorded the import of tobacco and pipes into the country.*2 Just a few decades later, in 1637, a ship returning to Stockholm brought the first tobacco shipment from the Swedish colony on the Delaware River – laying the foundation for a long Snus tradition that continues to shape Sweden to this day.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Swedish king Frederick I ordered tobacco cultivation in every Swedish town. Farmers began mixing ground tobacco leaves with water and salt to create a moist blend that was placed under the upper lip – ingredients such as bergamot, juniper berries, and various flowers were intended to give the product additional aromas.*3 Since the tobacco plant only thrives in summer, young women from small towns came during this period to work on the tobacco plantations. Mothers passed down farms and the associated knowledge to their daughters.
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Tobacco leaves during the drying process – traditional tobacco cultivation in Sweden since the 18th century. © Image: AdobeStock |
In large parts of Europe, chewing tobacco was gradually displaced by snuff and pipe tobacco, laying the foundation for the later rise of the cigarette. In Sweden, however, a fundamentally different shift took place – moist, ground tobacco increasingly established itself as a product in its own right: Snus. From then on, snus consumption dominated the Swedish market – and the basic recipe has changed surprisingly little since.
Traditional Snus consists of tobacco, water, salt, and flavorings. It is placed under the upper lip, where the nicotine is absorbed through the oral mucosa. Modern Nicotine Pouches work according to the same principle, but are completely tobacco-free.
What is Snus? Here you'll find all the basics.
From everyday product to state monopoly (1915-1961/67)
What began on Swedish farms became a mass-market product in the course of industrialization. Migration to the cities and factory work fueled snus consumption – at the same time, industrial production made it possible to meet growing demand. The result: Snus became an everyday product for broad sections of the population. By 1897, Sweden already had 97 tobacco factories with more than 4,000 employees – led by just a few companies and brands that are still known today, including Ettan, General, Röda Lacket ("the red lacquer"), and Grofsnus ("coarse Snus") among them. With the transition into the 20th century, international trade channels expanded and Snus markets became established far beyond Europe.
In 1915, the success story of Snus manufacturers came to an abrupt end. The state needed Medium to strengthen defense, fill the state treasury, and finance the country's first pension reform. In response, a monopoly on Snus production was introduced. Since Snus production was still one of the most lucrative businesses in the country, the state took over all manufacturers and their brands. Of the more than 100 Snus brands that existed, only around 20 continued to be produced. The tobacco monopoly was in the hands of AB Svenska Tobaksmonopolet.
It took decades before the market was opened again. First, the import and sales monopoly was abolished in 1961, followed by the manufacturing monopoly in 1967. The restructuring of the tobacco monopoly ultimately led to the creation of Swedish Match in 1994. The company emerged from the merger of Svenska Tobaks AB and Svenska Tändsticks AB within the Procordia Group.*4 Today, brands like Zyn are among the company’s best-known products and appeal to both traditional consumers and younger, tobacco-free users.
Snus and the EU - Sweden’s special path in 1993
When Sweden applied for EU membership in 1991, the Snus ban imposed by the EU in 1992 challenged the country’s long Snus tradition. As a result, Directive 89/622/EEC from 1992 introduced a ban on certain tobacco products for oral use and a ban on the sale of tobacco products, including Snus.*5
However, due to the long tradition of snus consumption in Swedish society, Sweden was granted an exemption in the accession treaty in 1993. This allows the sale and consumption of Snus within the country and was granted on the condition that Sweden takes all necessary measures to prevent Snus from being placed on the market in other member states.
The key point is: the ban applies exclusively to tobacco-containing products for oral use. Nicotine pouches, also known as Nicotine Pouches or tobacco-free Snus, which originate in Sweden just like traditional tobacco-containing Snus, are not covered by this Directive (TPD2). In many EU countries, they have established themselves in recent years as a legal, smoke-free alternative on the market.
