White snus poses three health risks, warns nicotine researcher

Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports that white snus—a moist, portioned form of smokeless tobacco—carries significant health risks, particularly for young users, according to nicotine researcher Louise Ademark of the University of Gothenburg.

Ademark challenges the long-held political claim that snus has driven down Sweden’s smoking rates compared to other European countries. “When we look at young people today, there isn’t much evidence to support that assertion,” she said. While some argue that switching from cigarettes to white snus offers a health benefit, Ademark warns that nicotine dependence itself poses dangers, including an increased likelihood of trying other tobacco products.

A 2020 review by Sweden’s Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) found no clear evidence that snus helps smokers quit. The Public Health Agency of Sweden also states that nicotine snus is neither a proven nor recommended substitute for cigarettes.

New data from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN) shows smoking has declined sharply—just 10% of the population reported smoking in the past month in 2025—while snus use has risen to 22%. Ademark stresses that comparisons should focus not on snus versus cigarettes, but on avoiding nicotine entirely.

She attributes Sweden’s low smoking rates more to strict regulations on where smoking is permitted than to snus use. “The fact that we don’t know enough about white snus means our young people are essentially being used as test subjects,” she said. “That’s deeply concerning.”