"I don't consider myself a smoker, but I can have a puff now and then if I want. I can go without cigarettes for months. But the snuff - I never want to be without it"
Kent Andreasson is one of more than a million Swedes who use snus daily, or 25% of men aged 30 to 64. He keeps his cigarettes away with the help of a cigarette under his lip.
This is his story.
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- Un the spring of 2023, the Vejpkollen with Convenience Stores Sweden News to depict Swedish nicotine use, beyond the statistics. This is a slightly modified version of the original report that was published in CSS News. -
Uddevalla in the early 1980s. A punky rehearsal room where a bunch of young long-haired boys create contemporary musical art with the help of roundabouts and discreet guitars.
"It was a bit of a highlight in life, actually. We had hidden a tin of Gold River in the bass drum. Then we took it out when we were rehearsing with the band and put a little bit in each. Not portions, but coarse loose snuff. Then we waited for the spin to come. It was both a bit unpleasant and cool at the same time. It took six months to get used to it," says Kent Andreasson.
The base, the smoke and the snuff
When we meet, it's almost 40 years since those days in the rehearsal room. Kent Andreasson is 51 years old and hasn't played bass in a band for quite a few years now. He is a craftsman and runs his own business in Uddevalla. But even though he has put the bass on the shelf, snuff has been a constant companion in his life, he says.
"I've also smoked at times - but I've been able to do without cigarettes for months, or longer, it doesn't matter. Snus on the other hand... no thanks. I've been traveling a lot and then it's usually not possible to buy snus. If you bring too little, it will be fetal position in the hotel bed. Sure, you can smoke to get your nicotine, but it's not the same thing."
"Kids try everything they can get their hands on"
We are talking about the relationship between smoking and snus. Sweden is probably one of the few countries where two forms of nicotine use have grown up side by side, especially among young people. Snus and cigarettes, if not each other. The scene in the rehearsal room in Uddevalla in the 1980s has certainly been played out in many places in our country - and given the uptake of nicotine pouches among young people - it is still happening, but with different products.
"Kids will try anything they can get their hands on. The more we were told "you can't try that" the more we just HAD to try it. Isn't that right? That's what it's like to be young. I remember when the Non Smoking Generation was in the classroom telling us how stupid it was to smoke. I'm sure it's different from person to person, but to me they were just preachy and a bit silly. Just listening made me want to smoke a lot." says Kent Andreasson.
Smoking no longer accepted
At the same time, he feels that attitudes towards smoking have changed a lot since he was young. "It's no longer unproblematic to smoke a cigarette anyway. Especially not if the children see it, he says.
"No, not really. The few times I've had a puff on the balcony, they start barking at me. They are 8 to 10 years old and learn early on at school about how dangerous it is to smoke. They take that home with them. 'Smoking will kill you' they say. And who wants to argue?"
"No negative consequences"
The risks of smoking have long been known - cancer and cardiovascular disease are just a few of the consequences of a life of daily smoking. And Kent Andreasson buys the arguments. However, he has not found snus to be particularly unhealthy.
"I have never noticed any negative consequences of snuffing. Not even on teeth and gums. And I've been snusing more or less constantly since my teens. In fact, I've never had a cavity either. Sometimes I suspect it's because of the snus. But who knows. Maybe I have good genes" he jokes.
The Swedish snus user
The Swedish tradition of tucking a prilla under the lip from time to time is deeply rooted. This was also true for the Andreasson family. "Snus has been important in the family for a long time," says Kent. Relatives would put the cans on the table during family dinners. Snuff culture? Yes, almost like that.
"I remember my grandfather sniffing like crazy. He lived to be 87 and basically died with a fart under his lip. That's what he wanted, I guess."
From lint to bag
Snus has been part of Swedish society for over 200 years, give or take a few decades depending on how you look at it. A nobleman's occupation, which in the 18th century meant sniffing dried tobacco flour, was transformed into something primarily enjoyed by working-class men in the middle of the last century. The 'modern' snus, sachets, hit the scene in the mid-1970s and became as common among white-collar workers as blue-collar workers over the next few decades. But Kent Andreasson and his friends never got hooked on so-called "mes-snus".
"I only switched to portions in the 90s. Before that, it was loose snus. I didn't bother much with 'baking' the snus. Just down with your fingers and up under the lip. The fact that I switched to portion was more for practical reasons. I drove a lot of enduro (motorcycle in the woods. ed. note) and it was no hit to try to blow out a lice snuff in the helmet directly" he laughs.
Snus has replaced smoking
According to statistics from the EU and elsewhere, snus use is part of the explanation for Sweden's low rate of lung-related diseases, which nicotine use (in the form of smoking) usually causes. This is particularly noticeable among Swedish men, where smoking is virtually non-existent (less than 5%) while snus use is very common (almost 20%). For example, compared to the same group of men aged 30-60 in Europe, Swedish men are significantly less likely to suffer from lung cancer and COPD. Snus is now banned everywhere in the EU except Sweden and the figures are usually the subject of heated debate between anti-tobacco activists, snus users and Swedish snus manufacturers. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that many Swedish men prefer snus to smoking - when they use nicotine.
"Something to fall back on"
Kent Andreasson is initially a little surprised when we talk about how few Swedes smoke today. After all, that's one of the reasons for the interview, a fact that has aroused interest among many international observers. Has snus made Swedes smoke-free?
"Well, I haven't thought much about that. I used to hang out in the smoking area with the others and smoked daily. But I probably smoked mostly because it was "cool". Snus was something I did on the side, more because I really liked it. But of course, it's clear that snus has probably played a big role for many people who have quit smoking. It's much easier when you have something to fall back on," he says.
Can you imagine giving up snus?
"No, not really. Why would I do that? I like the feeling when it tingles under the lip. And the nicotine, too. It makes my days easier. I enjoy snuffing and being able to have a cigarette now and then, if the mood strikes. But as I said, cigarettes are not important. I can do without them"
New nicotine pouches - "way too sweet"
We talk about how young people today are using more alternative nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. He says he has never been hooked on e-cigarettes himself. Neither have nicotine pouches
"E-cigs taste way too sweet and nicotine pouches are more like 'a substitute' if the real snus is out of stock for some reason." he says
At the same time, he understands that interest is greater than for regular snus at the moment.
"I think nicotine pouches work better than regular snus for those who smoke and need something easy to replace the cigarette. It's not as big a step to put one under your lip, actually. For me, however, it's like putting a piece of chewing gum under my lip. A bit pointless. I once met a truck driver who wanted to quit snuff. He put a piece of horseradish under his lip. I never really understood it. It just makes you angry," he laughs.
Kids don't like it when you smoke. But how do they feel about snus?
"Snus is so discreet that it is rarely noticed. But they know I use snus and don't usually complain about it," says Kent. "But I would never encourage my children to use snus. Unless it makes them stay away from a lot of other crap. It's really not that simple. That said. It can easily have a reverse effect to nag the kids not to do this or that. That's the punk in me talking, I guess"
Snus in your back pocket - a classic
Says Kent Andreasson, chuckling as he searches in his pocket for the snuff box. We have stood by one of Uddevalla's busiest streets to take a picture. It's windy and we're thinking about how best to illustrate a Swedish snus user.
"A picture of the back pocket would have been good. Where the fabric is shaped after the snuff box after several years. Unfortunately I've never managed to do that. I don't have pants like that," laughs Kent Andreasson and poses for the camera. "Damn, there's only a speck left in the can," he says with a smile.
