What is Snus, that sucking tobacco popular among teens that worries the authorities?

These secret little bags to put in the mouth are banned in France. Despite the health risks, it is among other things that many athletes consume.

The Créteil Academy launched the media work on the subject after it identified “four cases that led to emergency services being called” between the end of September and mid-October 2022, reports say. Parisian. Especially praised for its subtle side, it is increasingly consumed in France, especially among young people.

snus It is moist tobacco powder, packed in a small gum-sized sachet, which is placed between the gums and the upper lip. It can be kept for several hours. In this way, nicotine enters directly into the body.

Social media enthusiasm

The substance is mainly consumed in northern countries such as Finland, Estonia, Norway, and also in Switzerland. Its marketing has been banned since 1992 in the European Union, with the exception of Luxembourg and Sweden. However, it is very easy to get it with just a few clicks on the internet.

To understand the growing craze in colleges and high schools, you just need to turn to social networks, especially TikTok. In videos totaling hundreds of thousands of views, young people report the effects of the microcyst. “I feel really bad, I vomited, I can’t breathe anymore” explains one of them.

“I’m getting dizzy, I’m hot,” covenant to another.

On the social network, we also find Tutorials Explain how to put the spray bag in your mouth or how to take it.

Teen discomfort

This sucking tobacco contains a high level of nicotine. “Nicotine irritates the throat and bronchial tubes and, at the dose contained in the sachets, quickly leads to addiction,” the Tobacco Alliance warns. In addition, consuming too much nicotine can cause discomfort, especially in young people.

As mentioned Parisiana 13-year-old boy experienced discomfort at the Michel Richard Delalande College in Athis-Mons (Essonne) after ingesting the spray.

In enterprises and their surroundings, it is often easy to obtain because many young people dedicate themselves to reselling. In addition, the packaging, as well as the flavors offered – strawberry, cola, mint … – seem to be aimed at teenagers.

Very popular among athletes

The Tobacco Control Alliance also warns of several harmful effects: “Snus can cause pancreatic cancer due to the passage of tobacco through the digestive tract and lead to irreversible damage to the mucous membranes in the mouth and recession of the gums.”

It also warns of the “risk of going into smoke” that consumption can lead to, a reason also cited by the European Union to justify its ban.

Until now, Snus was mainly consumed by athletes, especially in winter sports, which confirms the stimulating nature of nicotine. Today, all eyes are on the football world.

Recently, a photo of France’s Marcus Thuram appears, holding a small white box in his hands, which he seems to have mistaken for a spray bottle. Other players, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or England’s Jamie Vardy, have been singled out.