The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a landmark authorization to Swedish Match, a leading Swedish tobacco company, allowing it to market snus as less harmful than cigarettes.
Snus is a moist tobacco powder primarily used in Northern European countries. Distinct from smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, or dry snuff, snus is placed between the gum and upper lip as a smokeless product. Users may keep a portion in place for minutes or hours.
Snus is banned across the European Union, except in Sweden, where it has deep cultural roots spanning centuries. Norway, outside the EU, is another key market.
Swedish Match, a specialist in tobacco products including snus, received this unprecedented FDA modified risk order. As reported by CNBC on October 22, 2019, the company can now state that snus is less harmful than cigarettes.
The FDA's assessment shows that, compared to cigarettes, snus lowers risks of mouth cancer, heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, pulmonary emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
Cigarette smoking claims about 8 million lives annually, while vaping faces intense scrutiny in the U.S. The FDA is promoting reduced-risk options that avoid combustion.
That said, snus isn't risk-free. It contains carcinogens linked to pancreas, mouth, throat, and esophagus cancers, plus potential cardiovascular issues. It's as addictive as cigarettes, with one portion delivering nicotine equivalent to three cigarettes.
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