Snuff Tobacco and Its Risks
Let's admit it: The consumption of tobacco is also one of the favorite indulgences for us Germans. Whether smoked, chewed, or sniffed: tobacco is enjoyed in all its forms here. Yes, it seems that especially the long-neglected variants of tobacco consumption are now experiencing a resurgence, not least for reasons of well-being. This undoubtedly includes snuff tobacco , which, like its cousin chewing tobacco , has been part of the indigenous peoples' repertoire in Central and South America for centuries. Through a historic journey, snuff tobacco eventually made its way to Europe and the rest of the world. Particularly in Germany, the country plays a significant role in the world of snuff tobaccos – or did you know that the world market leader is based in Landshut, Bavaria?
Pöschl Tabak: Snuff Tobacco from Germany
Let’s first take a look back at the beginnings. How did this specific form of tobacco consumption find its way to us? In its original form, like every form of tobacco consumption, the intake of tobacco had purely ritualistic purposes. It was about making contact with the gods, whose advice the shaman or medicine man needed for specific life questions. It became more mundane when the Europeans discovered America and gradually acquired the taste as well. The first conquerors simply watched how the Native Americans did it and copied them. In Europe, the method of sniffing tobacco spread particularly sustainably after parts of the nobility – role models for the common people – took pleasure in snuff tobacco.
Two-Hundred-Year Tradition
Not least, the belief that it helps against headaches or migraines promoted its spread among the common folk. So much so that eventually the first rulers came up with the idea of introducing a tobacco tax. Snuff tobacco makers sprang up all over Europe, some of which still exist today and can look back on a tradition of over two hundred years. One of the oldest and most successful snuff tobacco manufacturers is the Bavarian company Pöschl Tabak , which claims to be the world’s largest producer with a market share of 50 percent, and around 95 percent of the market share in Germany . This company alone has dozens of varieties in its range, and worldwide, it is likely many hundreds, if not thousands. This likely explains a global consumption of about 25,000 tons of snuff tobacco.
Snuff Tobacco: Bad for People with Bad Habits
Given such high global consumption, it is a valid question what makes snuff tobacco so interesting and whether it might even be a gentler alternative to conventional tobacco consumption. It has probably become well-known, even among non-smokers, that nicotine itself does not cause cancer. The risks of smoking lie primarily in its combustion products. Since snuff tobacco, like chewing tobacco, belongs to the “non-smoking tobaccos,” meaning those types of tobacco that are not smoked, the harmful aspects of smoking do not apply.
Nevertheless, snuff tobacco is also an addictive substance, as the nicotine it contains is absorbed by the nasal mucosa and transported into the bloodstream. In a somewhat polemically conducted discussion about the risks of tobacco, perhaps this 2007 medical study provides a good argument for how “good” or “bad” snuff tobacco is. Pöschl Tabak, as the sponsor of the study, may be a reason to raise an eyebrow, but the physical risks associated with regular consumption of snuff tobacco were scientifically investigated. This study, called the "South German Nasal Cancer Study," was conducted by Professor Dr. Eberhard Greiser from the Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine. The result of the study is clear: snuff tobacco can be addictive, but it is not responsible for an increased cancer risk on its own.
"No Evidence of Increased Physical Risks"
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) added in a written statement in 2013 that "compared to other smokeless, orally applied tobacco products […] the BfR finds no evidence of increased physical risks from snuff tobacco." So, snuff tobacco is subject to the same rule that applies to all indulgences: it is bad for people who inherently have bad habits and cannot distinguish between pleasure and addiction.
