Snus and Safeguarding

In recent years, snus (a smokeless tobacco product) has increasingly gained publicity and prominence, which raises major safeguarding concerns for children and young people. Despite being marketed as a harm-reduced alternative to smoking, the risks it has regarding human health, well-being and social norms, especially for adolescents and athletes, must be addressed with great attention, strategy and urgency.

What is snus?

Snus is a Swedish moist, smokeless tobacco product. It is placed between the upper lip and the gum, allowing nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membrane. Unlike regular tobacco products, it doesn't need to be smoked or chewed, making it more discreet for consumption. Snus is usually sold in small pouches that look like tea bags or in loose form.

Although snus bypasses the inhalation of smoke and reduces some lung-related health risks, it has other serious implications. Its high levels of nicotine make it addictive, and its health consequences, particularly on oral health, cardiovascular systems and cancer risk, remain a serious concern.

Health risks of snus

In young people, snus carries some severe consequences:

• Addiction: Due to the high nicotine content of snus, it is a very addictive form of tobacco, especially for younger users. Nicotine addiction creates problems with quitting tobacco products long-term.
• Oral health: Chronic use may cause gum disease, oral lesions and tooth loss. Snus is also linked to oral and pancreatic cancers.
• Cardiovascular risks: There is evidence that snus users suffer from hypertension and heart disease, with some of the studies showing that younger users may develop hypertension and heart disease sooner.
• Schooling, learning and behaviour: Nicotine is known to negatively affect the development of the adolescent brain, which may lead to the effects on learning, memory, and behaviour, which may affect mental health.

Celebrity endorsement and snus normalisation

What is most alarming is the growing number of famous people and celebrities, especially football players, who consume snus. Reports suggest that as many as one in five English footballers turn to snus or tobacco-free nicotine pouches to relax or deal with stress. Watching sports figures or other celebrities use snus is very influential for young fans whom they tend to idolise.

There are many ways in which normalising the use of snus can be harmful:

• Perceived safety: If snus use is visible and known among public figures, it can create a misplaced notion that it is a safe or socially acceptable product, which can detract from public health messages related to the dangers of all nicotine products.
• More curiosity: Young people, especially those who are impressionable, may be more willing to try snus in an attempt to imitate their favourite players or celebrities.
• Peer pressure: The influence of celebrities on the social acceptability of snus can make it more difficult for young people to resist and avoid trying it.
• Undermining safeguarding efforts: Making snus more fashionable and desirable undermines safeguarding efforts and the work of schools, parents, families, health professionals and other organisations to discourage children and young people from using tobacco and nicotine.

Snus legal and regulatory status

Tobacco-based snus is prohibited from sale in the UK and most other EU states, apart from Sweden. However, tobacco-free nicotine pouches that replicate the snus product experience are sold and advertised legally in the UK. These products do not contain tobacco, but they do contain nicotine, which can continue the cycle of addiction.

Despite restrictions on their sale, the products are readily available to young people, largely due to online retailers and limited regulation of such products. This ease of access heightens the risk of initiation and normalisation among teenagers.

Safeguarding implications

An effective, whole-system response is needed to protect children and young people from the risk of using snus:

• Education and awareness: Schools and safeguarding professionals should educate young people on the dangers of snus with a particular focus on the addictive nature and harm of snus use.
• Targeting the power of celebrity: Campaigns should focus on challenging the normalisation of snus in sports and the media, encouraging role models to promote healthier behaviours.
• Regulation and enforcement: Regulators should introduce stricter regulation of nicotine pouches and clarify the legal status of the products (including labelling and what applies to the minimum sale age for the products), which are all critical to limiting access by those aged under 18.
• Parental guidance: Parents must be informed about snus and the risks it poses so that they can look for signs of use and discuss with their children the dangers of nicotine products.

Snus is marketed and advertised as a less harmful option than smoking, but its health risks and potential for addiction cannot be ignored. For children and young people, these risks are particularly apparent. Celebrity endorsement of snus increases this risk by normalising its use, undermining public health efforts.

Schools, parents, public health organisations and regulatory agencies must all cooperate to protect young people. Addressing the need for more robust education and regulation on youth exposure are necessary to protect young people from the normalisation of snus and its harms and potential harms.

Sara Spinks

SSS Author & Former Headteacher

27 January 2025