US Snus Use
- posted by Jim Leitzel @ 4:47 PM

Yes, it looks like the Swedish-style smokeless (and "spitless") tobacco, snus, is developing a following in the good ol' US of A: "Swedish Match North America, a manufacturer of specialty tobacco products based in Richmond, VA., today announced that as a result of solid market performance in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it is pleased to introduce reduced harm tobacco products for cigarette smokers in both Chicago, Ill. and Minneapolis, Minn."

The "reduced harm" bit concerns the presumably better health outcomes associated with snus use compared with smoking. Based on what is currently known, substitution from smoking to snus probably would lead to much better health outcomes. Snus use is "addictive," however.

The big ongoing snus issue is whether snus will be legalized throughout the European Union. Vice Squad follows snus news, including EU developments -- as on April 5 and on January 2 -- primarily because "snus" is such a cool word.

[Update: A new, encouraging report on the relative safety of snus.]

Labels: EU, harm reduction, snus, Sweden, tobacco