Snus and Football: Taking A Deeper Look at the Negative Media Coverage
Back in 2016, Jamie Vardy faced severe criticism from the British media after a photo of him surfaced online. The picture showed the former England international holding a can of Swedish Snus on his hand while walking out of the Three Lions Euro 2016 team hotel in Chantilly, France.
Snus is considered as a taboo in the United Kingdom. Even though it’s clinically proven to be safer than cigarettes, selling snus within the UK territory is a felony. However, it’s not illegal to carry for personal use.
It’s pretty safe to assume that Vardy, whose current net worth is around £10m, wasn’t trying to score some quick cash selling snus on the streets. He was carrying the smokeless tobacco product for private use but drew denouncing media reaction nonetheless.
“I found they helped me chill out,’’ the Leicester City ace said, who is a frontrunner in the Premier League golden boot race this season, had said about his snus habits back then. ‘’A lot more footballers use them than people realise, and some even play with them in matches!’’
How The Media Coverage Influenced Club Policies On Snus
The persistent demonising of snus by the British media has prompted the clubs to take a hard stance on the snus culture. There have been reports of hefty fines as much as £10,000, while some clubs have deducted two weeks of salary. Regardless, the use of snus remains prevalent among footballers.
Nicotine Pouch: The Legal Alternative
Footballers are allowed to use nicotine pouches like Zyn nicotine pouches and similar products as alternatives to cigarettes and snus. Both nicotine pouches and snus are smoke-free and have almost identical flavours. The primary difference between the two is the presence of tobacco. While snus is a moist powder of tobacco leaves, nicotine pouches come tobacco-free.
The nicotine in snus comes directly from the tobacco leaves, but in nicotine pouches, the nicotine is drawn out from tobacco first, and then transformed into a crystalline form. Unlike snus, no tobacco plant residual can be found in nicotine pouches.
The nicotine content present in snus and nicotine pouches varies from brand to brand. There are some with as low nicotine strength as 4mg/g, while the strongest ones could offer you up to 18mg/g. Therefore moving to nicotine pouches from snus and vice versa doesn’t necessarily mean you are curtailing your nicotine intake.
If you are eager to find out how to use nicotine pouches, you can click here.
Are Health Accusations Made Against Snus Are True?
Sweden is the only country in the European Union, where sales and distribution of snus is a legal business. Many academics of the Scandinavian nation has studied the effects of snus consumption on public health. The findings of those studies are quite conflicting to the perception other countries have of snus.
It is now a scientifically established fact that health risks associated with snus are substantially low and less severe compared to cigarettes. But, it’s snus rather than cigarettes, which is treated as contraband by other European governments. If you find pleasure in tobacco, there’s hardly a safer way to enjoy it other than snus.
In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration permitted Swedish Match for marketing snus into the US market, as they found it complies with the standards set by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act 2009 signed by former US President Barack Obama.
Sweden have the lowest rates of respiratory and gum cancer in the EU, and a significant portion of their tobacco consumers prefer snus.
Nicotine pouches and snus are becoming more and more popular among footballers and other sportsmen. These products can help you to quit smoking without having to give up on tobacco. So, moving to snus and nicotine pouches from cigarettes and vapes is a healthier lifestyle choice any tobacco aficionado should make today.