Nicotine Pouches & Snus - Knowing The Difference

Nicotine pouches have fast become a popular choice with adult users seeking alternatives forms of nicotine over using an e-cigarette or smoking tobacco products.

But one of the biggest misconceptions which appears to happen quite frequently is people categorising nicotine pouches the same as Snus pouches. But there's quite a drastic difference between the two, despite them looking similar, they are leagues apart from one another in reality.

Join us as explain everything you need to know about Snus pouches as well as nicotine pouches and help give you a better understanding between the two.

What Are Snus Pouches?

Snus pouches originate from Sweden and the first inception of these pouches dates all the way back to the 16th century.

Pronounced as "snoose" these pouches are made up of the same fibrous material like what nicotine pouches are made of, but it's what is inside a Snus pouch which separates them from a standard nicotine pouch.

Each Snus pouch is filled with moist tobacco leaf as well as binding agents used to keep the tobacco moist and also flavourings, or aroma as it's traditionally referred to as in Sweden.

The pouch form of Snus is classed as "traditional" and has been marketed since 1973.

Much like nicotine pouches, Snus does come in varying nicotine strengths. The most common strength sold is 8mg, but other stronger strengths such as 11mg, 23mg and even 44mg strengths are sold in Sweden to avid Snus users.

Snus is still used regularly by the patrons of Sweden, and Snus played an integral part in helping Sweden achieve their "smoke free" status* in 2024.

*Less than 5% of the countries population are smokers.

Is Snus Legal In The UK?

There's a probable chance that you've never heard of Snus before, nor even seen it in person and there's a valid reason for that! Snus has been banned from sale in the United Kingdom since 1992 with this ban being reaffirmed in all recent reviews of the Tobacco Products Directive.

The reason for this ban was big tobacco companies had became involved with Snus brands and used aggressive marketing tactics to push their product onto the market, which in turn caused a stir and ultimately lead to a complete EU-wide ban on Snus sales from 1992.

And despite us here in the UK not being included within the European Union anymore, this ban does still remain in place.

What's The Difference Between Nicotine Pouches And Snus?

As we mentioned above, the primary difference between snus pouches and nicotine pouches is what is contained in each fibrous pouch.

Snus pouches contain actual tobacco leaf, preserved and used alongside different additives to make the tobacco stay moist once the pouch is put in place. They are used in the same way that a nicotine pouch is used, where you put one between your upper gum and upper lip for the nicotine from the tobacco to absorb through the gum lining.

Whereas with a nicotine pouch, all that's contained inside the white pouches are a specially formulated powder nicotine solution with zero trace of tobacco of any kind!

Whilst Snus pouches do have mild flavour added to them, there is still quite a distinct taste of tobacco to them.

However, nicotine pouches are available in a wide range of flavours to suit everyone's flavour preferences as well as being available in tapered nicotine strengths to appeal to new as well as experienced users alike.

Why Using Nicotine Pouches Is Better Than Snus

Snus carries some risk with them due to the fact they contain actual tobacco leaf, and this is one of the reasons as to why they were banned in the EU as we mentioned above.

As they contain tobacco, there's a risk of them also carrying carcinogens which are associated with tobacco products and known to cause deadly diseases such as Cancer. Also, they can lead to oral health issues such as decay or bad breath because of the tobacco content.

By using nicotine pouches, you eliminate these risks as there's no trace of tobacco found in using nicotine pouches.

Snus pouches also come in fairly fixed strengths whereas nicotine pouches provide a wide spectrum of strengths which are suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced nicotine users.

It ultimately comes down to the fact that nicotine pouches are a safer alternative for nicotine to use than their tobacco based counterpart. And by choosing EDGE Nicotine Pouches, you can rest assured that you're getting a high quality product, made in the UK and offered to you at an affordable price. Browse the selection below and find your new favourite alternative for nicotine today!