Snus in the US

[jimmeister]

I probably should do some googlein but I want some personal experiences from users on here
If I got the idea right, snus is sold in the US right? What kinds are there, Swedish Match but do you get the other stuff too?
Is snus popular? Do you have a lot of friends who use snus? What are the most popular brands?

[precious007]

I don't think snus is that popular in the U.S, just an opinion

maybe 2% of what cigar smoking is in the U.S.

[jimmeister]

Does the average american citizen know what snus is? Everyone from the US I talked to thought snus was just dip, I'm pretty sure that's completely wrong

[precious007]

Does the average american citizen know what snus is? Everyone from the US I talked to thought snus was just dip, I'm pretty sure that's completely wrong

US people don't know what snus is (on a large scale, just as they don't know anywhere else in the world (apart from sweden)

most people even find the habit disgusting lol

[lxskllr]

Snus is almost unheard of here. There's a few American brands labeled as "snus", but they aren't snus. They're very sweet, and have no tobacco flavor. Swedish brands are hard to come by over the counter. If you do find them, they're likely old. Dip is a close cousin to snus, but not the same. They have different processing, and most have to spit with dip. The flavored varieties cater to American's juvenile taste, and are overly flavored and sweet.

[jimmeister]

Really, old snus? Don't you have snus fridges? I honestly thought snus had made its way already into every other corner shop in the US even if it wasn't that popular with people yet. Where I live I find the most popular brands are Grov, GR and General. Sometimes Ettan but the other 3 I see all the time. I have never met anyone who bothered with american snus like Camel because it's dismissed as half assed shit pretty much but I wouldn't know, haven't tried it. Are these american brands sold in shops more often than swedish ones?

[precious007]

I'd love to get one of them Monte Cristo fridges to keep it on my desk (especially on really hot summer days)

would be awesome but I find it way to expensive for what it actually is - a mini-fridge -

$200 - $250 can buy a large refrigerator here in ROmania lolz

[jimmeister]

Yes precious007 that would be classy as ****. They have one of those at a local turk owned shop in my town with snus in it and cheap cigars littered around it. But like you said they are too expensive for what they are, would be convenient though to be able to just reach your arm out and grab a chilled can of snus, actually standing up and going to the kitchen fridge is too tedious lol

[precious007]

Yes precious007 that would be classy as ****. They have one of those at a local turk owned shop in my town with snus in it and cheap cigars littered around it. But like you said they are too expensive for what they are, would be convenient though to be able to just reach your arm out and grab a chilled can of snus, actually standing up and going to the kitchen fridge is too tedious lol

yeah lol, and the aethetic is very nice too

small and cosy for a desk

[lxskllr]

Really, old snus? Don't you have snus fridges?

Fridges only go so far. Old stuff is old, regardless of temp. They aren't even really necessary as long as the product moves, but other than some localized shops, it doesn't move fast. The only fridges I've seen are Camel, and that needs refrigeration less than most. It's a dry white portion.

Are these american brands sold in shops more often than swedish ones?

Probably. Camel is the leading seller(I don't know who's buying though), and real Swedish brands have been unseen by me. For Swedish brands there's the rare round can of General, but SM has been pushing their rectangular cans with Americanized snus. I haven't had it, and have no desire to have it. I think it's a mistake using the General name for a snus that isn't a traditional Swedish style. SM is also test marketing Ettan in select areas. It's been rebadged as snuff, but from what I've heard it's the same as the Swedish product.

If someone is lucky, they'll live near a store that our Rick Charles has infiltrated, and they can get a limited selection of Jakobsson's, V2, and/or Odens snus. Again, it's all very rare. I've never met anyone that used snus, and it seems like the only ones that are very aware of it are dippers. I imagine college age people are hipper to the trend, but I don't hang around them, so I don't know.

[jimmeister]

Thanks for the input
Didn't even know SM made different snus for the US market, to blend in with snuff/dip/whatever products that are already there?
Do you think snus is going to catch on and grow in popularity? It needs to be advertised as snus and nothing else, you don't see tobacco ads so the only reason everyone in Sweden knows what snus is is cause so many people use it. If you live somewhere where it isn't a commonly used thing and stores don't make an effort to make it visible and label it what it is or even sell it it's very likely you'll never get in touch with it, ever.

[lxskllr]

Thanks for the input
Didn't even know SM made different snus for the US market, to blend in with snuff/dip/whatever products that are already there?

I think it's actually to separate itself from dip. Dip comes in round cans, and has a negative image in many parts of the country. I endorse the rectangular tins for that reason. I don't endorse sweet snus. Americans have unsophisticated taste, and gravitate towards sugar. What I guess happens is during taste tests, the sweet, over flavored stuff is the more immediately accessible product, so that's what the testers prefer. Instead of digging deeper with the more challenging Swedish flavor, they go for the superficial kid stuff. The American stuff can taste good, but there's nothing there. It's like a cheap candy. It only has one dimension, and you get what you get. There's nothing to explore, and no extra flavors. Where a Swedish snus may be described as having an earthy character with hints of cedar and herbs, American snus would be mint and vanilla(and of course sweet :^S). See what I mean?

Do you think snus is going to catch on and grow in popularity? It needs to be advertised as snus and nothing else, you don't see tobacco ads so the only reason everyone in Sweden knows what snus is is cause so many people use it. If you live somewhere where it isn't a commonly used thing and stores don't make an effort to make it visible and label it what it is or even sell it it's very likely you'll never get in touch with it, ever.

Hard to say. It's already catching on, as seen by the large American presence here. The anti tobacco zealots are scared, and are doing their best to prevent its spread. Without the government restraining free trade, I think it would definitely catch on, but every new rule is designed to impede progress. It's hard to say. Americans don't believe in liberty anymore. They're willing to hand their lives over to the government, and they're also willing to inflict their views on others(that part is nothing new).

If it were me, I'd target pubs with snus. You can't smoke in most establishments, and an attractive lighted display would help get people's attention, especially when it's 20F outside. It would be slow progress, but any progress is helpful.

[Ainkor]

I buy quite a bit of mine locally now. There is a cigar shop in Charlotte NC and another in Greenville SC that sell General products.

There is a HUGE bias against snus in the USA. Almost everyone says it will rot your teeth out and eat a hole in your cheek.

I get kinda nerdy about it and just remind them that statistically speaking, you have an equal or better chance at getting oral cancer from licking a vagina.

Ill have to dig up the medical study done that came to that conclusion but it puts it in perspective.

[jimmeister]

lxskllr, I will have to try one of the american brands. I've seen Lucky Strike and Camel snus at the store but like everyone I know I dismissed it as ''pussy snus'' maybe I was right, I don't know. I was also somewhat suspicious towards these brands cause who knows what's in em.

Ainkor, that's so radically different from here. This is relevant to what lxskllr wrote aswell I don't get why people would think snus is poison and it kills you at the same rate cigarettes does when we keep seeing these statistics saying snus is almost harmless. You don't get that kind of talk here in Sweden, snus is bad for you in the sense it gives you cancer or whatever. When you hear someone talking about snus being bad it's only about the addiction. People who quit want to rid their nicotine addiction, not improve their health at least this is true for people I know who quit snus. I'm no scientist but it makes sense to me whoever opposes snus penetrating the american market is just scared and they don't really know what it is but it's been proven so many times Sweden has a low cancer rate in tobacco users THANKS to snus being as popular as it is.

[GoVegan]

Swedish snus here is rarer than hen's teeth. A few tobacco stores around here carry General but they want close to $8.00 a can for it. Also, you can't depend on them always having it in stock. I have found several stores that are willing to carry it for me but there are no distributors around here who will sell it to them. I have worked with our snuson saint, Rick, on this issue. I believe it is moving forward and just a matter of time.