Europeans For Snus

Recently, European Union Parliament member Christofer Fjellner launched a petition in order to reverse the ban on the sale of snus within the European Union. The European Union banned snus in 1992 (with the exception of Sweden, who is exempt from this ban), basing their decision on a 1985 World Health Organization report that claimed the “oral use of snuffs of the types used in North America and western Europe is carcinogenic to humans.”  With new research demonstrating that Swedish snus is much safer than cigarette smoking or dipping tobacco, people such as Mr. Fjellner are looking to lift the ban on snus, and for good reason.

Europeans for Snus Logo

Approximately 20% of Swedish males consume snus on a regular basis, and Sweden has some of the lowest rates of cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the developed world. It is of my belief that other European Union countries should look to Sweden’s example of tobacco harm reduction in order to reduce their own rates of cigarette smoking. Cigarettes are far more dangerous than snus, and by providing those who enjoy nicotine a safer alternative to cigarette smoking, it highly likely that many people will make the switch. I know that my breathing improved significantly when I switched from smoking to snus, and that wasn’t the only improvement in my health after making the switch.

Various types of Snus

According to Fjellner’s website eusnus.se,

The European Commission is in the midst of the process of reviewing the current EU legislation which governs the manufacturing, presentation and sale of tobacco products. It is this Directive that bans the sale of snus in all EU countries with the exception of Sweden. If you believe that snus should be available to all European consumers, there are a number of things you can do throughout the process. Below is an estimated timeline illustrating the substantial parts of the process which will lead to a new Directive and some ideas of how you can make your voice heard with regards to snus.

The timeline can be found here.

If you are a citizen of the EU and enjoy using snus, I strongly suggest that you sign Mr. Fjellner’s petition. It won’t take longer than a minute to do, and is an excellent way to exercise your right as a consumer and citizen. By making reduced harm alternatives available to consumers, EU member countries could significantly reduce the burden of smoking on healthcare. According to one 1991 study performed in Canada, cigarette smoking caused over $2.5 billion CAD in smoking attributable health costs in that year alone.