Doing a short research paper on smoking alternatives, cost?

[Bruce]

I'm doing a short research paper for Organic Chemistry & Health Sciences on the practicality of "safer" Nicotene delivery methods.

It's quite convienent. I'm completing the independent portion of my Organic Chemistry (mixing things in flasks) and Health Sciences classes in one go.

Anyway, what does a comperable snus habit cost compared to a smoking habit? In other words, since you quit your previous smoking habit, do you spend less or more to get the same "satisfaction" from Snus?

All your responses would be very much appreciated. I mainly was drawn to this area because I see so much healthier-than-thou health literature, and not enough practical result based analysis.

[lxskllr]

I spend much less on snus. About $8 per week for snus as opposed to $15 a tin of American Spirit RYO tobacco per week.

[airwoodstock]

Even cheaper when you consider a roll of, say, Skruf Stark lös costs around $40 and lasts me about 2 months where, a carton of premium prand cigarettes costs, on average, $50 and would last me a week at best.

So, over the course of 8 weeks, snus costs $5 a week and Smokes cost $50 a week. I save about $45 a week.

(the previous statement was based on me using ONLY one type of snus brand and buying only ONE roll. In reality, I spend $80 a month on snus. Still saving $120 a month!! :shock: )

[Starcadia]

In strictly practical terms the price difference is substantial for me (given that the satisfaction is the same, and there would be a lot more to be said there, as the physical and psychological factors are significant).

When I was smoking, I'd smoke on average a pack a day on weekdays, and a pack and a half on weekend days. Cigarettes would cost me on average US$4 a day. At 8 premium brand packs a week, that's US$32.

I go through one can of loose snus a week and one can of portion snus a week. A can costs me about US$4 with shipping. A week of premium brand snus costs me US$8.

Thus, to snus is 1/4 as expensive as smoking for me. It's practically a miracle, when usually something that is cheaper causes increased suffering.

[Zero]

Moved this post to the Snus & Health section.

I mainly was drawn to this area because I see so much healthier-than-thou health literature, and not enough practical result based analysis.

Are you talking about healthier-than-thou literature about snus? Do you mean academic literature when you say literature, or do you mean public campaign and activism literature? If you mean the latter, there is a small wealth of analytical academic papers on the subject, most of the research having been undertaken in Sweden, but there is certainly no absence of evidence to justify the claims of dramatically lower disease risk in snus users over cigarette smokers.

This site belongs to Gothiatek, a subsidiary of Swedish Match (who produce snus), but the link below is to their collection of literature papers on the topic - sorted by category. They may be much more relevant to your work than rudimentary economic analysis as it actually relates to medicine.

http://www.gothiatek.se/templates/start.aspx?page_id=72

At any rate, snus is cheaper than cigarettes, but this is largely a function of the arbitrary and inconsistent nature of governmental interference in tobacco-product markets. Asking people how much they save doesn't really have anything to do with health but is more about policy.

[RobsanX]

I estimate that I spend $1.75-$2.25 per day on snus, whereas I was spending $7.50 per day on cigs...

[chainsnuser]

I guess you're also doing research for your own nicotine addiction, Bruce!?

I spend less than 2 Euros per day for snus, formerly between 4 and 10 Euros for smoking. And unlike many, if not most of our members, I'm even paying the Swedish taxes.

The reason is very simple. Oral use allows to absorb much more nicotine from the same amount of tobacco (between 2 and 5 times as much, depending on how long you use a single portion or pris).

Cheers!

[Bruce]

Are you talking about healthier-than-thou literature about snus? Do you mean academic literature when you say literature, or do you mean public campaign and activism literature? If you mean the latter, there is a small wealth of analytical academic papers on the subject, most of the research having been undertaken in Sweden, but there is certainly no absence of evidence to justify the claims of dramatically lower disease risk in snus users over cigarette smokers.

This site belongs to Gothiatek, a subsidiary of Swedish Match (who produce snus), but the link below is to their collection of literature papers on the topic - sorted by category.

I mean the mainstream presentation of Tobacco safety, which mainly seems to focus on a zero tolerance healthier-than-thou tobacco elitism. That is to say, they simply focus on the fact that Tobacco has negative health effects and therefore say it should be restricted and eventually there should be no users. If the mainstream cared about harm reduction, they would be promoting snus in my opinion.

Thanks for the link, I've read through a few of those studies but it's nice to have them so easily accessible!

The economic question is a policy question, that's true. That part relates to my health sciences class. Of course the cost question is the only one I'd ask here, I'd hardly ask you guys to propose reaction mechanisms or perform gas chromotography for me.

The economic analysis is rudimentary, that's why I'm not an economist! I just need to know whether snus is generally more or less expensive. If it were hugely more expensive (like Nicotene gum) then it wouldn't be a practical substitute for smoking, and it would blow up the premise of my paper. Happily, that isn't the case. Thanks for all the answers!

I guess you're also doing research for your own nicotine addiction, Bruce!?

:wink:

Thanks for the European perspective. It's over there (Germany) that I started, everyone seems to smoke over there! Walking into a bar was like smoking...

[snusjus]

Most smokers switch to snus because it's a significantly lower risk nicotine delivery option. The cost of snus is less than cigarettes, but that's aside from the main point. The medical expenses from cigarette use is extremely higher since the health complications from tobacco smoking effect every organ in the body, while snus only effects certain areas of the mouth and pancreas (these instances are rare though). Snus users have the best of both worlds; lower medical costs from tobacco related diseases and cheaper cost for nicotine delivery (a can of "strong" portion "delivers" between 26.4mg - 52.8mg of nicotine while a pack of cigarettes delivers approximately 24mg of nicotine).

[---Nicotinic Acid---]

Snus cost me significantly more. I can go through 5 cans a week, which is around $22, whereas a can of American spirit (which could last me a week and a half), cost about $13. Nearly 2x as much. No biggie, it's about 65-80 $ a month - I can swing that, as tobacco has financial precedence over everything else.

[sentry103]

I spend about 40-50% less on snus than cigs. I think the reason being is I leave a portion in for 30+ minutes (sometimes just forgetting its there). I have been doing about 1/2 can a day sterk portions (maybe a bit more). During that time, I don't crave a ciggy whereas when I smoked, i'd finish a ciggy and within 30 minutes i'd want another one or two. Plus there's usually 24 portions in a can of snus and only 20 cigs. The cost of a can is usually cheaper than a box of premium cigs too.

[mbyrd624]

I was a HARD CORE smoker for 25 years. I smoked 2 1/2 packs of Winston per day, and the price went from $0.70 cents per pack to it's current $5.53 in that time. A carton of cigarettes ran somewhere in the area of $50, and would last me 4 days, at best.

Frankly, if cigarettes didn't cost so damn much, I never would have considered quitting (at least, not until my cold, dead fingers had been pried from my final coffin nail). I really, truly enjoyed it. But when I found myself choosing cigarettes over groceries and rent payments, I knew it was time to let my old friends go.

Snus has been the most wonderful thing I could have hoped for. When I use snus, I don't even think about cigarettes, and if I do, it is because I miss the act of smoking. It's a psychological attachment, nothing more. In the three or so weeks that I've been snusing, my constant coughing has...stopped. No more congestion. And for the first time in at least 20 years, I can smell cigarette smoke. And it's not good. What a revelation.

Financially, I estimate that I am saving something like $10 PER DAY. And I think I actually enjoy snus more. It's much less expensive than Nicorette or Chantix as a nicotine-replacement strategy, and just as effective, if not more so.

If anyone out there is considering quitting smoking with help from snus, my advice is TRY IT. After a couple of days, you won't even miss smoking. Trust me. I was that guy who swore he would NEVER quit, and I've done it. And it didn't totally suck, the way going cold-turkey does. Weaning yourself off snus will be much easier than quitting cigs, when the time comes. So do yourself a favor, and just give it a shot. Buy yourself a can of General Onyx or Skrüf Stark, and see how it goes.

Plus, having a place to share these stories is great, as well. Thanks for creating such an awesome community here, guys.

-Matt