Snus and health
Both in the scientific sphere and the public health debate, the relative health benefits of Swedish snus compared with cigarette smoking have been highlighted. On these pages, we have compiled information within the areas of snus and health, including articles on Sweden’s unique relationship to tobacco consumption, which has received international attention as “the Swedish experience”, developments in the EU, Swedish Match’s quality standard, GothiaTek and the most recent research findings on snus.
The harm reduction principle involves reducing the health risks faced by people who cannot or do not want to quit smoking by getting them to switch to a smokefree tobacco product, such as snus.
A summary is presented here of current research on the type of snus used in Sweden and the rest of the Nordic region.
Total tobacco consumption is as high in Sweden as in comparable countries, but Sweden nevertheless has the lowest smoke-related deaths, which is likely to be explained by the high consumption of snus. In the research sphere, this is referred to as “The Swedish Experience”.
GothiaTek®, Swedish Match’s own quality standard, is a guarantee that the consumer can always be sure that Swedish Match snus products are controlled and maintain the highest quality in all phases, from tobacco plants to the consumer.
The export of snus to other EU countries is currently banned and snus is a topical and controversial issue within the EU. The future of snus is still uncertain, but the most recent research (SCENIHR), conducted on assignment by the EU Commission, gives positive signals.