Snus Products Research Articles

Self-assembled core-shell nanoparticles with embedded internal standards for SERS quantitative detection and identification of nicotine released from snus products.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a unique analytical technique with excellent performance in terms of sensitivity, non-destructive detection and resolution. However, due to the randomness and poor repeatability of hot spot distribution, SERS quantitative analysis is still challenging. Meanwhile, snus is a type of tobacco product that can release nicotine and other components in the mouth without burning, and the rapid detection technique based on SERS can reliably evaluate the amount of nicotine released from snus, which is of great significance for understanding its characteristics and regulating its components. Herein, the strategy was proposed to solve the feasibility of SERS quantitative detection based on self-assembled core-shell nanoparticles with embedded internal standards (EIS) due to EIS signal can effectively correct SERS signal fluctuations caused by different aggregation states and measurement conditions, thus allowing reliable quantitative SERS analysis of targets with different surface affinity. By means of process control, after the Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) were modified with 4-Mercaptobenzonitrile (4-MBN) as internal standard molecules, Ag shell with a certain thickness was grown on the surface of the AuNP@4-MBN, and then the Au@4-MBN@Ag NPs were used to regulate and control the assembly of liquid-liquid interface. The high-density nano-arrays assembled at the liquid-liquid interface ensure high reproducibility as SERS substrates, and which could be used for SERS detection of nicotine released from snus products. In addition, time-mapping research shows that this method can also be used to dynamically monitor the release of nicotine. Moreover, such destruction-free evaluation of the release of nicotine from snus products opens up new perspectives for further research about the impact of nicotinoids-related health programs.

How do Smokers in a Snus-Prevalent Society Consider E-cigarettes, Snus, and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Products as Relevant Replacements for Cigarettes in the Event They Should Stop Smoking?

Around 50 percent of the tobacco in Norway is consumed in the form of snus, a smokeless oral tobacco. We examined Norwegian smokers' openness, and thereby the potential reach, to use e-cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy products (NRT), and snus in the event of quitting smoking, in a society where snus use is common. Using data from an online survey of 4073 smokers from 2019 to 2021, we calculated predicted probabilities of smokers' being open, undecided, and not open to use e-cigarettes, snus, and NRT in the event they should quit smoking. Among daily smokers, the probability of being open to use e-cigarettes in the event of quitting smoking was .32. The corresponding probabilities for using snus and NRT were .22 and .19. Snus was the product with the highest probability of not being open (.60). NRT had the highest probability of being undecided (.39). Among smokers who had never used e-cigarettes or snus, the probabilities of being open were .13 for e-cigarettes, .02 for snus and .11 for NRT. In a snus-friendly norm climate where smokers have traditionally used snus as an alternative to cigarettes, the probability of using e-cigarettes in the event of smoking cessation was higher compared to both snus and NRT. However, among smokers who had never used e-cigarettes or snus, the likelihood of being open to use of NRT was similar to e-cigarettes, and higher than snus, which suggests that NRT may still play a role in smoking cessation. In a snus-prevalent country in the endgame phase of the cigarette epidemic, where robust infrastructure for tobacco control in combination with the availability of snus has reduced smoking to a minimum, the remaining smokers seem to prefer e-cigarettes to snus if they should quit smoking. This indicates that availability of several nicotine alternatives might increase the likelihood of a future product replacement within the small group of remaining smokers.

Current tobacco use and SARS-CoV-2 infection in two Norwegian population-based cohorts

BackgroundClear evidence of an increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection among smokers has not been established. We aimed to investigate associations between cigarette smoking or use of snus (snuff) and other nicotine-containing products and a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, taking test behavior into account.MethodsCurrent tobacco use and testing behavior during the pandemic were recorded by adult participants from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study and The Norwegian Influenza Pregnancy Cohort. SARS-CoV-2 infection status was obtained from The Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS) in May 2021 (n = 78,860) and antibody measurements (n = 5581). We used logistic regression models stratified by gender and adjusted for age, education, region, number of household members, and work situation.ResultsSnus use was more common among men (26%) than women (9%) and more prevalent than cigarette smoking. We found no clear associations between cigarette smoking or snus and a COVID-19 diagnosis among men. Associations among women were conflicting, indicating that cigarette smoke was negatively associated with a diagnosis (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.35, 0.75), while no association was found for snus use (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.86, 1.34). Compared with non-users of tobacco, both cigarette smokers and snus users had increased odds of being tested for SARS-CoV-2.ConclusionsCigarette smoking, but not snus use, was negatively associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in women. The lack of an association between snus use and SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population with prevalent snus use does not support the hypothesis of a protective effect of nicotine.

Examination of Lifetime Established Use Criteria for Adult Tobacco Product Users

Background: Lifetime established use criteria are essential to distinguish tobacco product experimental and established users; however, these criteria are not as well defined for some tobacco product categories. The objective of this analysis is to examine various lifetime use criteria to facilitate an objective characterization of experimental versus established use behaviors. Methods: Our analyses were conducted using the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Waves 1 to 5 datasets. We first examined the level of agreement between non-numerical (having smoked/used the product fairly regularly) and numerical ( having smoked/used the product 20/50/100 times (e.g., use occasions) or product units) lifetime established use criteria among ever-, current-, and former-tobacco product users of various tobacco products. Logistic regression models were constructed to compare demographics, socioeconomic status, and tobacco product use patterns among current experimental versus current established users. Longitudinal analyses were performed to investigate the association between numerical or non-numerical criteria and discontinuation of past 30-day use at follow-up waves. Results: For tobacco product categories other than cigarette, we identified the following numerical thresholds as the objective characterization of established use: 50 for cigars and pipe products and 20 times for hookah, electronic nicotine products, smokeless, snus, and dissolvable tobacco products, based on level of agreement with the non-numerical criterion (kappa coefficients ranging from 0.3 to 0.6) and also with consideration of existing consensus. Significant differences were observed in demographics, socioeconomic status, tobacco product use and discontinuation of past 30-day use patterns when comparing current experimental and current established users with either non-numerical or numerical criteria. Conclusions: This study is the first PATH data analysis to derive quantitative thresholds of lifetime established use criteria to characterize experimental versus established use behaviors. Consistent applications of the lifetime established use criteria in data analysis and reporting would improve harmonization in research findings.

Variation of Benzo[a]pyrene, NNN, and NNK Levels in 16 Commercial Smokeless Tobacco Products.

This study examined the variation of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) levels in 16 smokeless tobacco products from several different product subcategories obtained at two different locations and at two different procurement times. B[a]P quantities range from 0.6 to 160 ng/g on a wet-weight basis, whereas NNN and NNK quantities range from 276 to 10473 ng/g and 79 to 28882 ng/g, respectively. The B[a]P, NNN, and NNK quantities vary widely among various smokeless tobacco product categories and among various brands within each product subcategory. Dry snuff products contain the highest B[a]P, NNN, and NNK quantities, whereas loose and portioned snus products contain the lowest B[a]P, NNN, and NNK levels. In general, variation of B[a]P, NNN, and NNK levels across four sets of each product brand purchased six months apart and at two different locations show statistically significant differences (p < 0.05), although with a much narrower product set-to-set variability.

The volatile release evaluation of nicotine from snus products under different storage conditions based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy technology.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical detection technique that provides unique chemical and structural information on target molecules. Snus is a type of tobacco product that can release nicotine and other components under certain humidity and temperature without burning, and the evaluation of its nicotine release under different storage conditions is very important for understanding its characteristics, regulating its components, and setting reasonable storage conditions. Herein, by means of an artificial climate box and suction extraction device, the volatile release evaluations of nicotine from snus products under different storage conditions were performed based on Fe3O4 microparticles coated with Au nanorods and Au nanoparticles (Fe3O4@AuNRsNPs) as SERS substrates combined with a capillary. The Fe3O4@AuNRsNPs assemblies can be fixed in the inner wall of the capillary with the aid of an external magnetic field, which improved the maneuverability of the SERS substrates. By comparing the intensities of the spectral peaks of the symmetrical breathing of the pyridine moiety of nicotine molecules with increasing temperature and humidity, which could significantly accelerate the volatile release of a small amount of nicotine, the nicotine release under different conditions could be evaluated. Based on this strategy, it was possible to obtain the storage or placement conditions of the product. The results of this study provide a reference to clarify the volatile release of nicotine under various storage conditions, which is helpful for better regulation of the levels of nicotine in snus. Moreover, such destruction-free evaluation of the volatile release of nicotine from snus products under different storage conditions opens up new perspectives for further research about the impact of nicotinoids on smokers' health and cessation programs.

The Correlation of Swedish Snus, Nicotine Pouches and Other Tobacco Products with Oral Mucosal Health and Salivary Biomarkers.

In society, tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products, such as snus and nicotine pouches, are becoming more attractive. There is still a lack of information regarding the effects of these products on the oral mucosa and oral saliva biomarkers. The aim of this study is to evaluate oral mucosa and the presence of inflammatory biomarkers IL-6, IL-1, IL-8, TNF alpha and LRG-1 in saliva. Respondents were divided in four groups based on their tobacco product usage. Oral examination was carried out, saliva samples were taken, and the detection of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1, TNF alpha and LRG-1 levels in saliva was carried out. Out of the tobacco users, 30.8% were snus users, 48.7% were cigarette users and 20.5% were e-cigarette users. The control group was composed of respondents who did not use any tobacco products. E-cigarettes were used more by women, but snus was used more by men. Mucosal changes were seen in the group of snus users, and mucosal changes were only seen in men who had used 5–10 tobacco units per day for 5–10 years. Increased IL-6 levels in saliva were detected in respondents who also experienced mucosal changes. Mucosal changes were white, leathery and localized at the site where snus sachets were placed. Saliva, as an easily available biofluid, could be used as a first tool to detect potentially precancerous signs, but the LRG1 marker cannot be used as a prognostic marker.

Introducing a Novel Biorelevant In Vitro Dissolution Method for the Assessment of Nicotine Release from Oral Tobacco-Derived Nicotine (OTDN) and Snus Products

The rate at which oral tobacco-derived nicotine (OTDN) and snus pouches release nicotine into saliva is crucial to determine product performance. As no standardized method is available for this purpose, this study sought to develop a biorelevant dissolution method that could both discriminate between different products and predict in vivo behavior. Using a μDISS Profiler™ as a surrogate for the US Pharmacopoeia standard apparatuses and a custom-made sinker, nicotine release from an OTDN pouch product (ZYN® Dry Smooth) and a snus product (General® Pouched Snus White Portion Large) was determined in biorelevant volumes (10 mL) of artificial saliva. In addition, nicotine extraction in vivo was measured for both products. Strikingly, the method showed distinct dissolution curves for OTDN and snus pouches, and the nicotine release observed in vitro did not significantly differ from the nicotine extracted in vivo. The custom-made sinker was designed to accommodate both loose and pouched oral tobacco/nicotine products, and thus the proposed in vitro dissolution method is suitable to assess nicotine release from OTDN and snus pouches. Apart from providing individual dissolution curves, the method was also able to predict in vivo nicotine extraction. Thus, this method could serve as a (biorelevant) monograph for product equivalence studies.

Nicotine Content in Swedish-Type Snus Sold in Norway From 2005 to 2020.

IntroductionUse of snus (moist smokeless tobacco) is widespread in Scandinavia and increasingly popular in the U.S. Snus products vary in terms of product design, portion size, and nicotine content. The aim of this study was to examine variations in the nicotine content in snus sold on the Norwegian market from 2005 to 2020.MethodsWe calculated the nicotine content in dry snus in milligram per gram (mg/g) and milligram per serving (mg/s), weighted by the products’ market share from data on nicotine content, water content, and portion size (both for portion and loose snus) for the ten most sold snus products from each of the three largest manufacturers in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020.ResultsIn all snus products combined, the nicotine content per gram snus (mg/g) increased from 16.3 to 24.1, while nicotine per serving (mg/s) was stable around 13.0. In portion snus, the nicotine content increased for both mg/g and mg/s, most notably from 2005 to 2010. In loose snus, mg/g decreased marginally, while mg/s was stable throughout the period.ConclusionsIn a period with increasing snus use, the nicotine content in snus increased per gram snus, but not per serving. The stability in nicotine per serving is likely due to a decreasing market share of loose snus which accounted for 54% of the snus products in 2005 and 5% in 2020, and which traditionally has a high content of nicotine per serving.ImplicationsUse of snus is popular in Scandinavia, most notably in Sweden and Norway, but also increasingly common in Finland, especially among young adults. There are no prior market-based studies of variations in the nicotine content in Swedish snus over time. We found that the average amount of nicotine per gram snus sold on the Norwegian market increased in the period 2005 to 2020, most notably from 2005 to 2010, while the amount of nicotine per serving was stable in the same period, primarily due to a decreasing share of loose snus.

Development and Validation Of A Discriminatory Dissolution Method for Portioned Moist Snuff and Snus

Portioned moist snuff and snus, two subcategories of smokeless tobacco products (STP) were dissolution tested as a quality control test. A USP Apparatus 4 was employed to develop and validate the method. The method was assessed based on time to reach nicotine dissolution plateau, percentage difference between two profiles at each time point, relative standard deviation (RSD), and f1 (similarity) and f2 (dissimilarity) values. Based on these criteria, 200 ml volume and 8 ml/min flow were found be discriminatory. The amount of nicotine dissolved from the nine products varied widely (2.0-3.4, 2.1-4.1, 3.3-4.6, 5.5-6.6, 6.9-9.1, 11.5-14.2, 12.5-14.6, 14.0-15.5, and 15.5-19.6 mg/pouch at 60 min). RSDs of the dissolution ranges were more than 20% at earlier time points and less than 20% at later timepoints. The developed method produced distinct profiles for all the tested products, which was further confirmed by f1>15 and f2<50 values. In conclusion, the developed method was discriminatory and can be employed as a quality control test and to differentiate among moist snuff and snus products.

‘No-Barriers’ tobacco product? Selling smokeless tobacco to women, people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community in the USA

BackgroundIn both Sweden and the USA, smokeless tobacco (ST) is legal and used predominantly by men. Starting in the 1970s, US tobacco companies attempted to expand the ST market to...

A conceptual framework for assessing the public health effects from snus and novel non-combustible nicotine products.

Objective:The tobacco industry plans to base their future earnings on the production of non-combustible nicotine products. These might replace or come in addition to the more harmful cigarettes that historically have dominated the nicotine market in the Nordic countries. The authorities in each country must decide whether the products should have market access and, in that case, how strictly they should be regulated. Our aim is to present a framework that can assist the health authorities to make a regulation where benefits will outweigh the harms.Method:In a public health perspective, health gains from substitution must be weighed against the health loss from additional use. The main elements of the weighing will be based on the information about the absolute risk of the products, their relative risk compared to conventional cigarettes and how the users are composed according to smoking status. We apply the framework on snus as used in Norway – a product with an established usage pattern and epidemiologically assessed health risks.Results:The framework consists of (i) a comprehensive set of specific user patterns that may result in health deterioration and user patterns that may result in health benefits, (ii) an estimation of the number of people with health-augmenting and health-impairing user patterns, respectively, and (iii) an estimation of the degree of health deterioration or health benefit that will affect the persons with the different user patterns.Conclusion:The net effect on public health will appear as an overall result of the number of people with positive and negative user patterns, respectively, in combination with the magnitude of the change in health status these people will experience. The use of an explicit framework highlights how a political decision may affect nicotine use and health-related outcomes. The framework breaks open a large and complex question into smaller pieces and requires the authorities to expose and explain the kind of evidence and reasoning behind regulations of novel nicotine products.

Chemical characterization of tobacco-free “modern” oral nicotine pouches and their position on the toxicant and risk continuums

As compared with cigarette smoking, use of Swedish snus is associated with significantly fewer health risks. Nicotine pouches (NPs), a new form of oral nicotine product, are smokeless and tobacco-free, comprising a nicotine-containing cellulose matrix inside a fiber pouch. NPs are similar in appearance/use to snus, but without tobacco, have the potential to further reduce tobacco-related harm. This study aimed to evaluate toxicant levels of NPs to estimate their position on the tobacco/nicotine product continuums of toxicant delivery and risk. NPs, snus and nicotine replacement therapy products (NRTs) were analyzed for 24–26 compounds applicable to oral tobacco, and their levels were compared. Twenty of these compounds were further used to compare the toxicant profile of NPs, as well as estimated daily toxicant exposure from NP use, with that of tobacco/nicotine products spanning the risk continuum. Of the compounds measured, 22 (NPs), 22 (lozenge NRT), 20 (gum NRT), and 11 (snus) were not quantifiable. Compared with snus, NPs had lower levels of 10 HPHCs and comparable/undetectable levels of a further 13. Across the product categories, NPs and NRTs had the lowest toxicant profiles and estimations of relative toxicant exposure. Based on the present chemical analysis and estimated exposure, use of NPs appears likely to expose users to lower levels of toxic compounds than Swedish snus, which is recognized to offer reduced levels of harm than associated with tobacco smoking. We conclude that NPs should be placed close to NRTs on the tobacco/nicotine product toxicant delivery continuum, although further studies will be needed to confirm this.

‘95% less harmful’? Exploring reactions to quantitative modified risk claims for snus and e-cigarettes

ObjectivesStudies examining perceptions of ‘modified risk tobacco product’ (MRTP) messages for e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco have indicated consumers want statistics and quantification of harm reduction. However, limited research exists on...

Snus and snus-like nicotine products moving across Nordic borders: Can laws protect young people?

Background:Use of snus and snus-like nicotine products is increasing, in particular among young people, in several Nordic countries and Estonia, while snus is legally on the market only in Sweden and Norway. Snus is available in a great variety of tastes and packaging particularly catering for young users. Recently, strong snus-resembling nicotine pouches have emerged on the market. This research investigates the regulatory means to counteract this development.Methods:European Union (EU) and national tobacco control legislation, case law of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) and relevant public health studies are analysed.Results:The research finds that the judgement of the CJEU relating to the sale of snus on Finnish ferries has not been enforced. Permitted large traveller imports for personal use have contributed to wide availability of snus in Finland. Even if the legislation in Sweden is in conformity with the exemption it obtained in the Accession Treaty, the public health impact of snus use for young people in its neighbouring countries has become considerable. Nicotine pouches, -which are not regarded as medical products in terms of medicine legislation, lack harmonised EU-wide regulation. Controlling smuggling across open borders is challenging.Conclusions:The legislation at the EU and national levels should be able to protect young people from new tobacco and nicotine products. It is urgent to harmonise regulation relating to new tobacco and nicotine products taking as a base a high level of protection of health as required in the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

Simultaneous extraction and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection for the rapid and reliable identification of nicotine released from snus products.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive analytical detection technique that provides unique chemical and structural information on target molecules. Here, simultaneous extraction and SERS detection of nicotine for the rapid and reliable identification of nicotine released from snus products were performed based on a nano-Au assembly hierarchy structure in the capillary. Based on this strategy, the time evolution of the concentrations of nicotine released from the snus products was measured. Through comparison of the intensities of the spectral peaks of the symmetrical breathing of the pyridine moiety of nicotine molecules, with the prolongation of time, the concentration of nicotine released decreased significantly, which is helpful for establishing a method for the rapid evaluation of the processing and selection of excipients of snus products, and provides a new idea for further study of the production of snus pouches and related tobacco products. Moreover, based on data fitting, it can be calculated that the concentration of nicotine in the extraction presented an obvious quadratic relationship with time, and the release of most of the nicotine in the snus pouch, which is held through the gums and palate, was basically completed after ∼15 min. Such destruction-free simultaneous measurements of snus products are opening up new perspectives for further research about the impact of nicotinoids on smokers' health and cessation programs.

Psychological, Normative, and Environmental Barriers to Tobacco Cessation that Disproportionally Affect Sexual Minority Tobacco Users

Sexual minority populations-particularly gay/lesbian and bisexual women-use tobacco at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. Evidence-based biopsychosocial interventions for tobacco cessation are available; however, research is lacking on the specific barriers to tobacco cessation in these populations. The purpose of this study is to describe the psychological, normative, and environmental barriers to cessation that disproportionally affect sexual minority tobacco users. Data from wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health were used to explore differences by sexual identity across psychosocial barriers and facilitators of tobacco cessation. The analytic sample consisted of current tobacco users (including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookah, dissolvable snus, and smokeless products). Psychosocial barriers/facilitators were modeled using logistic regression analyses, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, poverty, education, census region, and urbanicity and were stratified by sex. Models accounted for the complex study design and nonresponse. Substance use and internalizing/externalizing behavioral problems were more common among gay/bisexual men. Bisexual, but not gay/lesbian, women also had higher odds of these behavioral problems. Bisexual men and women reported less normative pressure to quit than their heterosexual peers (no differences in gay/lesbian tobacco users). Gay men had more environmental barriers to quit, being more likely to receive tobacco promotion materials, and live with another tobacco user. Several barriers to tobacco cessation were identified as disproportionally affecting sexual minority groups in this study; however, there were considerable differences between sexual minority men and women, as well as between gay and bisexual participants. Several important psychological, normative, and environmental barriers to tobacco cessation were identified that disproportionally affect sexual minorities. There was considerable heterogeneity in the prevalence and relative difference of these barriers across sexual minority subgroups, suggesting that community-based tobacco cessation programs should be responsive to differences in gay and bisexual men and women.

Susceptibility, Trial, and Current Use Prevalence of Cigarettes, E-cigarettes, Cigars, Snus, and Snuff Products in Mexican-Americans Adults at Texas-Mexico Border

Susceptibility, Trial, and Current Use Prevalence of Cigarettes, E-cigarettes, Cigars, Snus, and Snuff Products in Mexican-Americans Adults at Texas-Mexico Border

Examining Market Trends in Smokeless Tobacco Sales in the United States: 2011-2019.

The smokeless tobacco (SLT) industry in the U.S. continues to transform with novel products amid an evolving regulatory environment. We report SLT sales trends in the U.S. by analyzing retail market scanner data from 2011 through 2019. National SLT sales data were obtained from Nielsen's Convenience Track System for January 2011 to December 2019. UPC codes were used to classify products by attributes including type, parent company, brand, form, and flavor. Market share was calculated as percentage of total unit sales. Detailed product analysis was presented for moist snuff, snus, and tobacco-free nicotine products. SLT sales increased by 5.8% between 2011 and 2016 but declined by 3.9% from 2016 to 2019. Moist snuff sales increased by 8.1% between 2011 and 2016 and then declined 7.4% from 2016 to 2019 but still accounted for roughly 90% of the overall market annually. Between 2011 and 2019, snus sales consistently increased while sales of chew, dry snuff, and dissolvables decreased. Tobacco-free nicotine products emerged in 2016 and captured 4.0% of the market by 2019. Portion pouch packaging and flavors showed consistent growth although their popularity varied by the type of smokeless product. This study extends our previous work on U.S. SLT market trends through 2019. Overall sales increased between 2011 and 2016 but there were signs of leveling off including declining sales of moist snuff. Newer products continue to gain market share. Continued monitoring of SLT sales is needed, particularly given the new modified risk status of several products. This study analyzed the last 9 years of smokeless tobacco market data (2011-2019) to describe recent trends in sales. Overall, the smokeless product category is quite resilient although signs suggest downward trends among some product categories and features. New types of smokeless tobacco products (eg, snus and tobacco-free nicotine pouches) account for a growing share of the market.

The greater use of flavoured snus among ever-smokers versus never-smokers in Norway

BackgroundSimilar to the debate around e-cigarettes, an increase in snus use among Norwegian adolescents has prompted debate on whether flavour options in snus should be limited. To this end, we compared use of flavoured snus among snus users with different smoking status.MethodsQuestions about flavoured snus use were included in an online omnibus study conducted from 2015 to 2019 (N = 65,445) that included 16,295 ever snus users (aged 15+). Current snus users (N = 9783) were asked “Do you usually use snus that has a flavouring (liquorice, mint, wintergreen, etc.)? Adjusted predicted probabilities and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from a logistic regression model.ResultsLess than 25% of the snus users reported never having smoked. The overall probability of using flavoured snus was .45 (95% CI .44–.46), highest among daily (.51, 95% CI .47–.54) and former daily smokers (.50, 95% CI .48–.52), and lowest among never (.41, 95% CI .39–.43) and occasional smokers without any prior history of daily smoking (.41, 95% CI .38–.44). Use of flavoured products was higher among female snus users (p = .67, 95% CI .65–.69) compared to males (p = .35, 95% CI .34–.36), highest among the youngest age group, 15–24 years (p = .58, 95% CI .56–.60) and decreased with increasing age.ConclusionRegulation that would ban or limit flavoured snus use may affect smokers—an at risk population—more than never smokers. The health authorities should be mindful of the real-world complexity governing potential harms and benefits of flavour restrictions on snus. A further assessment of flavour limitations should acknowledge that flavoured snus products also function as alternatives to cigarettes.