Why Swedish Snus?

I’ve never been a smoker. I did the whole social smoking thing when out at a bar with friends, but that is the extent of my smoking history. Even when I would have just one cigarette when out having drinks, it was enough to make me suffer with sinus issues. In fact, all I had to do was just get around someone else smoking, and I would wind up with a cold.

Although I was never really a true smoker, I married a man who was. My husband Jason smoked unfiltered cigarettes for twenty plus years. I, being concerned for his health, tried to get him to quit many times, but it just never worked out.

I also did not like the person he became when he started to go through nicotine fits. He tried using American smokeless tobacco products, but the chemicals in them made his gum line recede, so he couldn’t continue using them. Then, one day by some great stroke of luck, he discovered Swedish snus.

My Life and Swedish Snus

I used to think he was silly in the beginning. I would often refer to him as a “snus nerd”. He would get so excited when he placed a snus order; it was like Christmas time for him!  He was always on the snus forums and websites reading about snus, new products, and chatting with fellow snusers from around the world.

He tried to share his love of Swedish snus and all the knowledge he had gained with me, but at the time I simply wasn’t interested. I used to tell him I had no intentions of using “dip”, to which he would retort that snus was not dip. I would usually just roll my eyes, and go on about my business.

In March of 2010 Jason and I moved from where we lived in Eastern Oregon back down to the swamps of Kiln, MS. My dad had been diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer and I wanted to spend whatever time he had left of his life taking care of him, and just being with him.

My dad had been a user of American dip for as long as I could remember, and he would often get white lesions on his gums. Considering that he was already battling one very nasty form of cancer, we certainly didn’t want to see him develop cancer of the mouth.

We got him to start using General Snus and give up the dip. All of the lesions on his gums went away and his mouth cleared up. I thought that it was pretty amazing, and it showed me the difference between the Swedish smokeless tobacco products and the American products.

Not long after that time, in 2011, my husband Jason decided to stop smoking completely. He was able to satisfy his nicotine cravings with Swedish snus, cut back on his smoking, and then stopped smoking all together. I was pretty impressed with this Swedish snus stuff and it had gained my respect.

The time I spent taking care of my dad, and watching him slowly wither away from his cancer was taking it’s toll on me. Despite already being on an antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication, I was still having some major issues.

My anxiety was unbearable sometimes and I felt like I was going to lose it. I found myself desperate for relief and I temporarily found some in some of my dad’s extra anti-anxiety meds he had laying around. I just needed relief, and they provided it.

I didn’t have a prescription for them of course, and it didn’t take long for them to run out, which left me stuck once again feeling like I was going to lose it. I started to think of what could help me with this horrible anxiety. I couldn’t handle it on top of everything I was dealing with.

Nicotine is more addictive than caffeine, but no more harmful and neither cause cancer

I knew cigarettes weren’t an option, and I didn’t need to be sick all the time while developing a habit that could give me cancer later on down the road. My husband suggested that I try a Swedish snus portion. I was reluctant at first, but I figured it was worth giving a try.

In the beginning I started out with little 4 mg nicotine “baby snuses”. It took a while to get used to the feeling of having something tucked into my lip. I also had to develop a taste for tobacco. The relief it provided from the stress and immense anxiety I was experiencing was wonderful though. Finally, something to take the edge off.

I gradually started trying different brands and flavors of Swedish snus and moved up to 8, then 12, then 17 mg/gram nicotine snus portions. My favorite brand quickly became V2’s line of “Thunder” snuses.

Putting in a “Thunder” was like getting a full blown pedicure. It was a fully relaxing and pleasant experience. I also enjoyed how there were many different flavors of Swedish snus and I could pair them with a favorite beverage, such as coffee or a cup of Earl Grey tea. I was now a snuser, and quickly turning into a “snus nerd” myself.

Nowadays I am the one that gets super excited about placing a snus order. It’s like Yule morning for me on snus delivery day; he, he, he.

I am truly thankful for Swedish snus. It stopped a life long habit that was destroying my dad’s mouth. It also was the means by which my husband was finally able to put down cigarettes for good. 

Most of all, it helped me make it through some extremely rough times. It gave me the calm I needed to stand by my dad till the end of his life. Swedish snus had become my lifeline through all the turmoil and I honestly don’t know what I would have done without it.

That is why I stand behind Swedish snus.

HEATHER SCHABLE

Frau Schable on Snus
Writing for SnusCENTRAL.org