Snus side effects and long-term effects

What Are Nicotine Pouches Made Of, and How Do They Work?

Unlike traditional Snus, which contains tobacco, nicotine pouches use plant fibers. Nicotine is added to the fibers in the form of nicotine salts. These fibers are then enriched with water or humectants and flavorings.

The pouches are placed between the oral mucosa and the upper lip. When the plant fibers become moist, nicotine and flavor are released. The nicotine is absorbed through the mucosa into the bloodstream and eventually reaches the brain, where it—simply explained—stimulates the release of dopamine, the "happiness hormone," creating a pleasurable sensation. Thus, the effects of nicotine pouches are essentially the same as smoking cigarettes.

What Are the Side Effects of Nicotine Pouches?

While the effects of Snus are comparable to smoking, the side effects of nicotine pouches are much more limited compared to cigarettes. When consuming nicotine pouches, only nicotine is absorbed by the body, reducing the side effects to this single substance. However, nicotine is addictive and can lead to blood vessel constriction, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Other harmful substances found in cigarette smoke are completely avoided since the plant fibers in pouches are not burned. Cigarette smoke contains a range of toxic substances produced during combustion. One such substance is tar, which clogs lung tissue and, alongside other harmful compounds, is a primary cause of lung cancer.

In Sweden, where the consumption of traditional Snus has been popular for decades, smoking rates are lower than in other EU countries (e.g., 7% in Sweden compared to 24.5% in Germany). The incidence of lung cancer per capita is also significantly lower in Sweden than in many other EU countries, as shown in statistics.

It can therefore be concluded that consuming Snus is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. This makes sense, as nicotine pouches contain only nicotine as a harmful substance, avoiding the toxic byproducts of combustion. Scientists often describe this form of tobacco or nicotine consumption as the least harmful, precisely because the combustion process is absent.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Using Nicotine Pouches?

Nicotine is an addictive substance. Similar to smoking cigarettes, consuming nicotine pouches can lead to dependency and habituation over time.

Depending on usage intensity, yellowing of the teeth may occur, though this is less pronounced than with smoking. Compared to cigarettes, nicotine pouches offer the following advantages:

No yellow fingers
No lingering smell of stale smoke
No harm to bystanders (as with secondhand smoke)
No need to find smoking areas for consumption
No work interruptions, as pouches can be consumed discreetly

Choose an Appropriate Nicotine Strength

When purchasing nicotine pouches, pay attention to nicotine content to keep side effects manageable. Many shops offer a range of strengths, from "light" to "extreme strong."

Light options typically contain 6mg to 8mg of nicotine per pouch. On the other end of the spectrum, extreme-strong variants can contain between 21mg and 65mg of nicotine per pouch. For comparison, a standard cigarette contains around 9mg of nicotine.

First-time users are advised to start with a light variant, while experienced users or heavy smokers looking to switch can opt for stronger versions. For those in between, moderate-strength options with 20mg or less, such as the tobacco-free Snus by Velo, are suitable.

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