Research on snus
In recent years, a number of Swedish studies have been published on the effects of snus on health, based on Swedish conditions. Previously published research on oral tobacco products has mainly dealt with product types used in other parts of the world, such as India, meaning the results have not been representative. The information given here is a summary of current research on snus of the type used in Sweden and the rest of the Nordic region.
Swedish Match seeks to constantly reduce or minimize presumed health risks in its snus products and to contribute to increased knowledge on the characteristics and use of snus. Consequently, Swedish Match conducts its own research and development efforts, which focus on the continuous improvement of products.
200 years of Swedish snus
Snus of the type used in the Nordic region has a history stretching back nearly 200 years. In Sweden, snus has been one of the dominant tobacco products for an entire century. Its health effects have now been well elucidated in a large number of Swedish scientific studies.
Overall, the use of tobacco in Sweden is on a level comparable to many other European countries. Despite this fact, the risk of dying of a tobacco-related disease is lower in Sweden than in any other European country. This is true of men. One reason contributing to this is thought to be the fact that Swedish men use snus considerably more than they smoke. The risk for Swedish women is comparable to that for women in other parts of Europe.
Review of the Scientific Literature on snus
An assessment of all scientific peer-reviewed studies on Swedish snus up to December 31st 2009 was compiled by the international consulting firm ENVIRON.
The report covers all areas including chemical composition, biomarkers of exposure and effect, toxicological studies, human health effects including dental and oral effects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, metabolic disease, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive effects, effects on infants, neurologic disease, and miscellaneous other health-related outcomes.
In total more than 250 scientific studies are cited. The review confirms that Swedish snus has a well documented and a favourable risk profile compared to the vast majority of all other tobacco products.
Read the ENVIRON report (PDF)
Ramboll (formerly ENVIRON) conducted a update to the ENVIRON report. The ENVIRON report included literature published through at least December 31, 2012, and the update includes articles published through July 28, 2017 (i.e., an additional four and a half years).
Read the Ramboll report (PDF)
Reports and papers
Several research reports dealing with effects of Swedish snus use on health have been published in the last 10 -15 years. Previously published reports on oral tobacco use mostly dealt with products from other countries, products which are not used in Sweden.
Below is a summary of research on Swedish snus by GOTHIATEK®.
