Can Snus Help Me Quit Smoking?

My story

Back in 2009, I had been a smoker for quite a long time. I was working in a restaurant as a manager, which meant some longer hours. 60-70 hour work weeks were a norm for me, to let you know just how much work goes into running a restaurant. The stress was almost unbearable at times, which is why I turned to nicotine, as a way to relieve my stress when things got busy and hectic. But, with smoking came a lot of negative effects. One is the smell. My car, my clothes, my house, everything smelled awful. Anyone who was a smoker before knows what that smell is like. For those who weren’t smokers, think of what it’s like when you buy a used car that was smoked in, or visit a hotel that was smoked in. Honestly, now, 14 years after quitting smoking, when I stay in a hotel that was smoked in, I can tell. And that smell makes me sick. Smoking also is not the best on your teeth. When I quit, I went through so many whitening treatments just to get rid of that yellow smoker look. I could go on and on about it, but those of you who were smokers before (or smokers now) know just how bad the effects are of smoking. Honestly, I’m glad to be away from it. But the worst was the toll it took on my body. I’ve always been an active person, but smoking really takes a lot of that out of you. I would get winded and cough until I hurt walking up a few flights of stairs. A lot of times, it felt like a fruitless battle.

Trying to quit

For those who have tried to quit in the past, you know how hard it is. I tried the “miracle drug”, Chantix, and it just made me miserable. I tried other things like the patch and the gum, and just never got enough satisfaction from it that I could quit. Those things helped between cigarettes, but I never got enough nicotine from them to actually quit or substitute smoking. After trying a lot of different things, I eventually got to that hopeless point that a lot of ex-smokers get to and decided to just quit trying to quit. Honestly, feeling hopeless and not being able to quit takes a lot out of you. It makes you turn back to smoking, because you get so frustrated and irritated that you can’t quit. So, I moved forward and put it out of my mind for the time being.

Meeting snus

In 2009, I was working at a restaurant that was attached to a little gas station. I’d walk over on my breaks and buy drinks, snacks, and of course, cigarettes. One day I walked over to grab a box of smokes and I saw a display on the counter for something new called “Camel Snus”. I had never heard of this word before. As I was checking out I asked the clerk what this stuff was, and she didn’t seem to know much about it but told me what she had been told was that it was like dip but you didn’t have to spit with it. This naturally got my curiosity so I grabbed a can of it to bring with me back to work. During a shift, I tested this stuff out. I’d throw one in my upper lip, because that’s what it said to do. I noticed that I was craving my cigarettes less, but it definitely wasn’t enough to break my addiction. Later on down the road I’d find out that this “Camel Snus” didn’t have much nicotine to it. But, the concept was intriguing. I decided to go on line and do some research and found this product was a knock-off a product in Sweden that had existed for a few hundred years. I went online and found that you could buy this stuff online from Sweden and have it shipped to the US. Not only that, but there were a lot more flavors available and higher nicotine strengths. For a minute, I saw some hope that this could be the thing that helps me quit smoking.

My early days of snus

In my earliest order I received, it was a Swedish Match sample kit. There were basic products in it like General Snus, Catch Eucalyptus, Göteborgs Rapé, and I think Grov? I remember the first one I tried was General. The smell alone made me gag. It tasted super salty. I thought to myself if this is snus, this may not be the way. I tried GR, and I tried Grov, and neither one of those did much for me. Catch Eucalyptus was the only one I could stomach. I’m not a big menthol fan, but back then I was a menthol smoker so perhaps that’s why I liked that one. Even now I don’t use a lot of menthol snus. But it’s funny, now I use General Snus all the time. It’s an example of how your tastes can change over time the longer you use snus. So, I decided to order something else to try out. I saw General Mini Mint, which is sadly no longer sold. That one was supposed to be the “Camel Frost Killer”, as my friend Larry Waters called it at the time. I waited and it came in the mail a few weeks later. I began using it at work much like I attempted to with “Camel Snus”. I’d use it between smoke breaks. I found that often I would use one, and when it was time for a smoke break, I felt okay, I didn’t need one. I began smoking less and interchanging snus for the cigarettes. After a short period of time, I didn’t feel the need to smoke, the snus was providing me all the nicotine I needed. Within a matter of a few weeks, I was completely off cigarettes. What’s interesting is I quit smoking with a snus that had just 4mg of nicotine. And I was a pack a day smoker, sometimes more! That tells you just how satisfying the nicotine delivery of snus was to me, that it helped me throw the cigarettes away.

After quitting and developing a “rotation”

Over time, I found that I needed stronger snus. That’s something that can happen to you. You get comfortable with a nicotine level and may have stress come about in life, or something like that. I used a lot of 16mg snus for a period of time, the now discontinued Thunder Frosted. But, eventually I settled on the regular strength level and that’s been most of what I’ve used since my early days of snus usage, and what I still use to this day. For about 3 months I experimented with a lot of snus products, and I did eventually come back to General and that became my all day every day snus product. I would gradually, over the years, develop a “snus rotation”. A lot of snus folks do this. It’s not something I did as a smoker. I smoked one brand of cigarettes: Basic Ultra Light Menthols. And I never changed from that, it was the only thing I used. As I came into snus, I found that I could mix it up and use different products for different times. Honestly, it was kind of fun developing a snus rotation. General Snus has always been my all day every day product. But, I mix it up with Göteborgs Rapé, an alternative flavor I can use when I want something different. I like to use mint snus after brushing my teeth, so I usually will use Kapten or Green Ice for that. And, I like an extra strong snus after I eat. That is a ritual for me that carried over from smoking, I always wanted a cigarette after I ate. I find that extra strong snus always hits the best after a meal, so I generally will use Lab 06 after meals. Everyone’s rotations are different, but that’s generally been mine.

So, can you quit smoking with snus?

The answer is a resounding yes. I shared my story, but I’ve heard the same story time and time again from countless others. That snus can in fact help you quit smoking. I’ve heard from light smokers, and even smokers who are heavier smokers than I was. And it’s true, it works. It’s all about experimentation, though. Not everyone quits the same way with the same products. Before we wrap up, I want to cover some common questions and common items people who are new to snus ask about, or things they notice when they start using snus.

Some quick notes

Trying out products
In the early days, your earliest orders will have a pretty wide variety of products. Honestly, that’s a lot of the fun of the early days of snus. You’ll try out maybe close to 100 products to find the one that you like the most. Don’t fret if it takes time to find your new favorite product, that’s part of the process.

Nicotine strengths
Nicotine strengths are another thing. I say this to everyone who is new to snus: don’t immediately go to the strongest stuff available! You can kill your nicotine tolerance and not enjoy regular snus. I quit smoking with 4mg snus. I’ve even seen heavy smokers quit with 16mg snus. You don’t need to immediately shoot to Siberia to find satisfaction. The best suggestion is to keep it between 8mg and 14mg.

The salt taste
In Swedish Snus, salt is used, and not a lot of sugar. If you find snus to be salty, don’t fret, I did too in the early days. But, eventually, you won’t even notice it anymore. Just give it time.

What about nicotine pouches?
Yes, the elephant in the room. Nicotine pouches are another popular form of nicotine consumption. And yes, many people are having luck quitting with them. However, I’m a snus enthusiast, and I still think the best way to quit smoking is with snus. I find it to be a more enjoyable product. But yes, you can also quit with nicotine pouches.

The Bottom Line

I’m really thankful for the Swedes. No, truly. Without Swedish Snus, I never would have been able to quit smoking 14 years ago. Nothing else worked for me, and this is the only thing I was ever able to experience that actually worked. So if you’re a smoker and finding yourself feeling that hopeless feeling, and that nothing else works, trust me, I was there. So, welcome to the world of Swedish Snus! If you’re trying to find a way to quit smoking, you’ve found one!