Anyone Snus?

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GilaMinumBeer

GilaMinumBeer

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http://data1.blog.de/blog/k/kairokairo/img/snus.jpg

LOL. Not me! (No really, not me) But I have given this stuff a try.

Not bad, IMO, my wife doesn't complain about me smelling like a cigarette, my sons doesn't know that I am smoking, the flavor is decent (kinda like keeping a mildly vanilla-earthy flavored candy under your lip), theres no spitting, and 1 pouch is good for an hour or more (YRMV).

Of course theres still a lot of health debates about this stuff but, it ain't smoking and I can work on breaking the tactile habit for less than a patch or gum and still get a nicotine fix.

Minus the 4 teeth that have fallen out, the sour stomach, and the loss of bowel control, I see no real side effects. ;)

Anyone else using?
 
All teeth still here. ;)
I and a lot of other Swedish people use it (have done it ever since the mandatory military service - well it was mandatory when I did it, nowadays it has changed).
 
I just started a week ago. Been cigarette free for a few days now and I already I breathe better. It's pretty amazing stuff. I still get minor cigarette urges, but they're quickly satiated after a minute or two of having snus under my upper lip. And I'm not talking about the mediocre Camel Snus. That stuff didn't do much for nicotine cravings.
 
I like the Camel snus. its a cool sales gimick that they sell it cold. I went to a concert the other day and Camel had their promo trailer there. I wound up leaving with 7 cans of snus(4 frost and 3 of the other flavor,mild?) Kept thefrost and gave the other to a coworker. also got a pack of the camel crush smokes. And coupans.
 
I've done it for a while now. Currently have General Sterk white portion on hand. Nick & Johnny is also a good one, but strong. That picture is pretty gross. It's nothing like that in reality, especially the portion snus. I order it from Sweden duty free (one can import a certain quantity of tobacco without paying taxes on it). With shipping it comes to $3-something a can and I only do it a couple times a day, so it's a few months between orders.

If you look at the science behind it, it is a much lower risk form of tobacco... possibly the lowest risk form (next to nasal snuff, but blowing that crap out of your nose gets annoying and disgusting). Due to the curing method (steam), there is a much lower level of nitrosamines (cancer-causing) than nearly all other forms of tobacco.
 
Can you buy this at US tobacco stores?
I been smoking for a long time
and this seems like it be a better alternatve.
 
dzlater said:
Can you buy this at US tobacco stores?
I been smoking for a long time
and this seems like it be a better alternatve.
Click to expand...

Possibly the Camel snus. It was originally released in limited locations for market research, but it may be all over now... I'm not sure. I haven't tried the Camel stuff, so I don't know how it compares to the Swedish snus. But I've read reviews that it's not as good.

I don't believe Swedish Match exports the Swedish snus to the US, but you can order it online at the link I posted before. If you do that, order a sampler pack first, to see which ones you like. Smokers tend to go for the stronger snus. I'd recommend the portion snus (pouches). The loose stuff is messy and difficult to form correctly to put in your upper lip. They make forming tools for loose snus, but the portion stuff is so much easier to deal with.
 
It's very popular here, especially with teenage girls.

I smoke, and even I find the idea of putting that stuff in my mouth disgusting.
 
Buford said:
How does snus compare with the typical US dip tobacco taste-wise?
Click to expand...

The Camel snus, to me, has a more woody, earthy, candy like flavor with very little tobacco bite. I haven't done a lot of the chewing tobacco but what I remember of it was a strong earthy tone with hints of a black pepper type bite.

I have been using the Camel Snus ever since it hit the shelves here in OKC (~ 1 month) and have had about 12 cigarettes since. I use 1 portion about every 2 to 3 hours so (1) 15 portion tin last me 2 to 3 days as opposed to me smoking nearly 20 cigarettes a day.

I'll have to try Machines suggestions and see if I can save some more cash by importing and getting something a little stronger. The Camel Snus is reported as having ~8mg nicotine per pouch but, it's a slow dose. Most often, it's the time between portions that I find I want a smoke.
 
Here's a page full of strong snus. The ones I've had and like are Skruf Stark, General Sterk, and Nick & Johnny. The strongest one of those 3 is Skruf at 14 mg/g. I believe that each portion is 1 gram, so that would also equal per portion. 14 mg was a little much for me. I've settled into the 11 mg. (And I generally prefer strong tobacco.) When I first tried snus, I bought a sampler pack of various loose snus. I learned 2 things from that: not to buy loose again and which flavors I prefer.

I don't really like the snuses that are flavored too much... like licorice, eucalyptus, etc. I like the tobacco taste. One thing I've learned with Swedish snus is not to buy the super cheap stuff. It's not near as good (low quality tobacco, bad flavor, looser pouches) as the mid or higher priced snus. This would be a good starter kit of portion snus. It takes about 5-7 days for me to get the delivery in the mail from day of order (Swedish Post). I wouldn't order more than 2 rolls per order... it might get flagged and confiscated buy customs.
 
Buford said:
How does snus compare with the typical US dip tobacco taste-wise?
Click to expand...

That's a difficult question to answer...at least for me... and I've had plenty of types of dip. Snus is very unique in its flavor. The first time I opened it up, I had never smelled anything like it. But the bottom line is, it's still tobacco and you can taste that... at least in the snus that's not loaded with flavorings.

I think the only comparison with dip is that it's tobacco and you put it in your mouth. Other than that, I consider them very different. You don't "taste" it as much because it's in your upper lip. So, it doesn't make you salivate like dip does. Somehow I doubt the Camel snus is a good example of snus in general... but I've not tried it, so I don't know for sure. But I would recommend reserving final judgment on snus until you've tried the Swedish snus. Swedish snus is to tobacco as Ikea is to furniture (quality aside;)). It's just a very unique product and you'll have to try for yourself.
 
menschmaschine said:
I don't really like the snuses that are flavored too much... like licorice, eucalyptus, etc. I like the tobacco taste. One thing I've learned with Swedish snus is not to buy the super cheap stuff. It's not near as good (low quality tobacco, bad flavor, looser pouches) as the mid or higher priced snus. This would be a good starter kit of portion snus. It takes about 5-7 days for me to get the delivery in the mail from day of order (Swedish Post). I wouldn't order more than 2 rolls per order... it might get flagged and confiscated buy customs.
Click to expand...

The Camel Frost has a spearamint twang to it and it isn't bad but, I do prefer the Mellow.

I was looking at that sampler as well as the White sampler. I gather from reading that the differences between original, white, and black are portion sizings.

It might also be "interesting" to compare the Swedish market Camel Snus with tha of what is available here. At least, interesting to me.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
I was looking at that sampler as well as the White sampler. I gather from reading that the differences between original, white, and black are portion sizings.
Click to expand...

Portion snus are broken up into several categories. The two main categories are independent of size and they are Original and White (all other color designations are part of the market branding). Original comes in a pouch that is "natural" in color. White comes in a pouch that is "bleached". The White pouches are a little thicker and take a little more time for the flavor/nicotine to come through, but don't leave stained teeth as bad as the Original snus can and don't become overly moist as fast (last longer in your mouth). I actually prefer the White, but it's low on my list of preferences with snus.

The other categories in portion snus are size and they are indicated by Mini, Large, and Maxi. Original and White can come in any size... except for Maxi... I don't think there is a White Maxi.
 
menschmaschine said:
Portion snus are broken up into several categories. The two main categories are independent of size and they are Original and White (all other color designations are part of the market branding). Original comes in a pouch that is "natural" in color. White comes in a pouch that is "bleached". The White pouches are a little thicker and take a little more time for the flavor/nicotine to come through, but don't leave stained teeth as bad as the Original snus can and don't become overly moist as fast (last longer in your mouth). I actually prefer the White, but it's low on my list of preferences with snus.

The other categories in portion snus are size and they are indicated by Mini, Large, and Maxi. Original and White can come in any size... except for Maxi... I don't think there is a White Maxi.
Click to expand...

I ain't puttin it my mouth if there is!

Sorry, had to go there. Disgraceful, I know.
 
I just tried the Camel Snus for the first time today. I am an (average) smoker, and I must say, when I have my snus I have no desires for a cigarette. (In fact they tend to taste like **** afterwords)

The mellow is okay, but the frost is nice. Ive heard good things about the spice flavor but I havent been able to find any.

And for the record - I have puked my guts out EVERY TIME I have tried dip or chewing tobacco. This stuff is smooth and not harsh at all. The thing about dip and chewing bacco is they FERMENT the leaves as well as add all kinds of salt/sugar/flavorings.
Snus isnt too bad, I need to try some of the Sweedish stuff now.
-Me
 
JoeMama said:
I just tried the Camel Snus for the first time today. I am an (average) smoker, and I must say, when I have my snus I have no desires for a cigarette. (In fact they tend to taste like **** afterwords)

The mellow is okay, but the frost is nice. Ive heard good things about the spice flavor but I havent been able to find any.

And for the record - I have puked my guts out EVERY TIME I have tried dip or chewing tobacco. This stuff is smooth and not harsh at all. The thing about dip and chewing bacco is they FERMENT the leaves as well as add all kinds of salt/sugar/flavorings.
Snus isnt too bad, I need to try some of the Sweedish stuff now.
-Me
Click to expand...

I too plan top order some of the swedish mixes, once my domestic supply is gone.

I have not heard of a Spice from Camel but have heard of an Original and cannot find it anywhere either. Perhaps it's an original spice and we are talking about the same thing.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
I too plan top order some of the swedish mixes, once my domestic supply is gone.

I have not heard of a Spice from Camel but have heard of an Original and cannot find it anywhere either. Perhaps it's an original spice and we are talking about the same thing.
Click to expand...

Quite possibly. I cant remember where I was surfing today when I was at work (and my computer totally pooped on me today)

Gonna be a fun day tomorrow!
Wheeeeeeeee
-Me
 
menschmaschine said:
Here's a page full of strong snus. The ones I've had and like are Skruf Stark, General Sterk, and Nick & Johnny. The strongest one of those 3 is Skruf at 14 mg/g. I believe that each portion is 1 gram, so that would also equal per portion. 14 mg was a little much for me. I've settled into the 11 mg. (And I generally prefer strong tobacco.) When I first tried snus, I bought a sampler pack of various loose snus. I learned 2 things from that: not to buy loose again and which flavors I prefer.

I don't really like the snuses that are flavored too much... like licorice, eucalyptus, etc. I like the tobacco taste. One thing I've learned with Swedish snus is not to buy the super cheap stuff. It's not near as good (low quality tobacco, bad flavor, looser pouches) as the mid or higher priced snus. This would be a good starter kit of portion snus. It takes about 5-7 days for me to get the delivery in the mail from day of order (Swedish Post). I wouldn't order more than 2 rolls per order... it might get flagged and confiscated buy customs.
Click to expand...

Followed your advice and ordered the kit yesterday. I should have put you down as my reference.
 
Ordered myself a Swedish match White portion kit (large) as well.

8 tins plus shipping cost less (albeit not by much) than the domestically available tins. In my area, a 15 portion tin goes for $5.16 each.

Those USB fridges are cool too. 40 tins is a lot to order at once tho', especially when you can get a similar fridge online for $15.

On a side note:

I had been smoking nearly a pack a day for well over a decade or two before finding Snus. After using Snus for over a month (month and half I guess) I came down with a really bad sinus cold/infection (no fever). Now that I am over that, my lungs are trying to clear themselves and it is "sobering" just how abusive smoking has been. I have kept a pack of cigarettes in teh garage that I bought when I got my first tin, it's still a quarter full.

I opted to try the Snus as a sessation alternative after nothing else has worked. I think, so far, it's doing a decent job.
 
Wow, they're getting a lot of business this week. I just ordered 2 rolls myself as I was getting low. It came to around $3.80/can with shipping. (Plus I love BuySnus because they send you a small "gift" for free when you order a roll or two. I've gotten pens, bottle openers, extra cans of snus, a baseball cap, etc.)

I think it's a great cigarette smoking cessation tool. Although I don't use it for that. I never smoked cigarettes much, except early in my military days. I just like tobacco, so I try to use the least risky forms and in moderacy.

One tip on storage... The reason they say to store it cold is to help maintain it's moisture content. But refrigerator temps will still dry it out over time. I keep mine in the freezer and take a can out as needed. It still stays moist for a couple days once open.
 
Taken from the US Cutoms website regarding duty exemptions and declarations,

Tobacco Products

You may include in your personal exemption not more than 200 cigarettes (one carton) or 50 cigars or two kilograms (4.4 lbs.) of smoking tobacco, or proportionate amounts of each. An additional 100 cigars may be brought in under your gift exemption.

Just an FYI. Interesting how smokless tobacco is not included. I wonder if this "legaly" means smokeless is by exclusion exempt, or non-exempt and subject to duty irregardless of amount. Or, if this stuff falls under scrutiny as a plant material or foodstuff (as it is regulated by the Swedish food saftey org).

Hmmmmm.

http://foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/3customsinfo-nonres.htm#tabacco
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Taken from the US Cutoms website regarding duty exemptions and declarations,

Tobacco Products

You may include in your personal exemption not more than 200 cigarettes (one carton) or 50 cigars or two kilograms (4.4 lbs.) of smoking tobacco, or proportionate amounts of each. An additional 100 cigars may be brought in under your gift exemption.

Just an FYI. Interesting how smokless tobacco is not included. I wonder if this "legaly" means smokeless is by exclusion exempt, or non-exempt and subject to duty irregardless of amount. Or, if this stuff falls under scrutiny as a plant material or foodstuff (as it is regulated by the Swedish food saftey org).

Hmmmmm.

US Customs Information for Nonresidents - US Travel, Customs Regulations, US Customs Inspection
Click to expand...

This Seems to imply that one can't order tobacco (any) from outside the country over the internet without paying Federal Excise Tax. I thought I read somewhere before that one can order a certain quantity (grams), but maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, I've been ordering 2 rolls at a time for a couple years now with no problems. It's even marked "Swedish Snus" on the packaging. Customs people probably don't know what it is. But now that we've talked about this over the internet, my next package will probably be confiscated by Customs... or I'll get a knock on my door by someone showing their federal ID badge.;)
 
menschmaschine said:
This Seems to imply that one can't order tobacco (any) from outside the country over the internet without paying Federal Excise Tax. I thought I read somewhere before that one can order a certain quantity (grams), but maybe I'm wrong. At any rate, I've been ordering 2 rolls at a time for a couple years now with no problems. It's even marked "Swedish Snus" on the packaging. Customs people probably don't know what it is. But now that we've talked about this over the internet, my next package will probably be confiscated by Customs... or I'll get a knock on my door by someone showing their federal ID badge.;)
Click to expand...

Yeah. I didn't even think about it when I ordered my 8 tin mix via Swedish post. Went back through the thread to see if there was any mention of using Swedish post and how long to recieve and it struck me to check.

Guess I will know in ~10 business days huh? :p
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Yeah. I didn't even think about it when I ordered my 8 tin mix via Swedish post. Went back through the thread to see if there was any mention of using Swedish post and how long to recieve and it struck me to check.

Guess I will know in ~10 business days huh? :p
Click to expand...

When I lived in the UK, I couldn't believe the taxes on cigars (total price is about triple what I paid in the States). So I ordered a couple boxes from an American vendor that shipped overseas. I wondered if it would get through. The package showed up at my door with "Ceramic Pieces" written on the declaration line. I was like, heh... suckers.:D
 
menschmaschine said:
When I lived in the UK, I couldn't believe the taxes on cigars (total price is about triple what I paid in the States). So I ordered a couple boxes from an American vendor that shipped overseas. I wondered if it would get through. The package showed up at my door with "Ceramic Pieces" written on the declaration line. I was like, heh... suckers.:D
Click to expand...

BTW, thanks Keith for the pathway linky to yet another pricey addiction. :rockin:

Bastid!

At least now I won't have to find a place to set my ciggy when I am checking the MLT.

Really tho', Thanks. I am looking forward to trying the real stuff out.
 
Same here! I just ordered the 'American Portion Starter Kit'
It includes 1 can of each -
General Wintergreen
Offroad Icemint
General White
Grovsnus White
Gotlandssnus Green
Jakobsson’s Ice Fruit
Goteborg’s Rape #2
General Onyx
Ive heard rave reviews on the General Onyx, but Im rather excited to try the others as well! The Camel snus isnt too bad (frost that is) and it REALLY has helped me to cut back on ciggies. Ill be glad when I am done with them!
Ill let yall know how these come out!
-Me
 

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