“I discovered Snus with Danish friends”. On a daily basis, Virgile, 20, alternates between cigarettes and vaping. A nicotine regular, curious to discover this new product that his friends are using. In the northern countries of the European Union, such as Sweden where it is legal, Snus has been circulating for several years. Small sachet containing tobacco powder, high in nicotine, its practicality seduces. It is consumed directly in the mouth by placing it between the gum and the lip.
But it’s only recently that Snus has made inroads into our territory. He even invited himself into the corridors of schools. On Tik Tok or Snpachat, videos show young people feeling unwell following testing the product for the first time. In a college in Essonne, a boy was even placed in police custody in December 2022 for having sold Snus to comrades.
“A marketing strategy that appeals to young people”
In this podcast of “Minute Papillon! », Bernard Basset, president of the association Addictions France, affirms to have raised its vigilance on this product. In question, an offensive, according to him, on the part of the tobacco industry, to seduce young people, a population that is increasingly turning away from tobacco. “Cigarettes have a bad image, so for young people we have to find a product that is less old-fashioned. The SNUS corresponds to that,” explains Bernard Basset.
“We encourage young people to consume Snus because it diversifies the offer of the tobacco industry” he adds. This new offer is accompanied by marketing strategies tailored to teenagers. An affordable price (5 euros for a box of 20 sachets) and colorful packaging. As for the flavors, they are numerous: watermelon, cola, mint, red fruits… Like the “puffs”, disposable electronic cigarettes, these tobacco sachets try to seduce everyone.
“It increased my tolerance to nicotine”
According to Bernard Basset, the intentions behind this strategy are clear: to make young people addicted to nicotine and then lead them to tobacco. In this podcast of “Minute Papillon! Virgil says he had no trouble quitting Snus, but the effects were clear.
“My consumption of nicotine substitutes increased following stopping, he explains, I think it increased my tolerance to nicotine”. An effect that Bernard Basset also observes. Drawing on studies from Nordic countries like Norway, it sounds the alarm. “The first effect is of course to create an addiction. But it can also create irritation of the gums which can degenerate into local cancers. There is also an increased risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer. For the moment, no scientific study on the effects of Snus or its consumers has been carried out in France.
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