Legalising Snus in the UK
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Hi guys,
My name is Darius and I am working with Swedish Match on the legalisation of snus in the UK. Our work so far has consisted in orchestrating a co-signed letter that Adam Afriyie sent to Matt Hancock in 2018, securing an article in the Telegraph which concerned the recommendation of a group of scientists led by David Nutt to legalise snus, as well as the placement of around 20 parliamentary questions on snus. I will post some of those below just in case you are interested.
The basic government line is to ignore all evidence and repeat the tag line that "all tobacco products are harmful". They rely on obfuscation and outdated evidence. This is where we turn to you.
We can only do so much as an organisation to put pressure on DHSC. MPs are far more responsive to the concerns of their constituents. So, we would like to speak to people in the UK who are either snus users or interested in tobacco harm reduction about sending letters to their MPs who, in turn, would write to the Minister or table a parliamentary question. This would not be illegal or dishonest in any way. This is simply an opportunity to launch a well-coordinated campaign so that your voices can be heard. I'm sure many of you are sick of the Department's lack of innovation and scientific ignorance.
If you are interested in this cause, please feel free to contact me on here or, even better, at darius@abzed.com. Again, this would require at maximum a minute of your time, as we would write and coordinate all the letters. All you have to do is press send. With the Tobacco Control Plan currently under construction, your email might just tip the balance in our favour.
Best,
Darius
Exemplar Parliamentary Questions:
Question; Lord Storey, Liberal Democrat, Lords
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the medical reasons for the ban of the smoking substitute snus.
Answered on 10 November 2021
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-10-19/hl3218
Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful and it is the Government’s policy to support people to quit all forms of tobacco use. Oral tobacco, or snus, is banned in the United Kingdom under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The Impact assessment on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products stated that oral tobacco products contain carcinogenic substances which are associated with a number of adverse health effects. Snus can also contain carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines and other carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which also have been associated with several adverse health effects. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.
Question; Martyn Day, SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he would publish the data his Department holds on the average level of TSNA carcinogens found in (a) cigarettes, (b) heated tobacco, (c) e-cigarettes and (d) snus made according to the Gothiatek standard.
Answered on 19 November 2021
The Department does not hold data on the average level of TSNA carcinogens found in cigarettes, heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or snus.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-11-09/72542
Question; Martyn Day, SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a statement on The Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet in September 2017 which reported no evidence of harm caused by long-term use of snus for any health outcome.
Answered on 19 November 2021
The Department continues to monitor the international evidence on harms from tobacco, including snus. A report by The Norwegian Institute of Public Health published in 2019 reports that the use of Swedish snus may increase the risks of some serious adverse health outcomes and some less serious adverse health outcomes. The report is available at the following link:
https://www.fhi.no/en/publ/2019/health-risks-from-snus-use2/
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-11-09/72543
Question; Rosie Cooper, Labour, West Lancashire, Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November to Question 71299 on Smoking: Young People, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the fall in daily smoking among young people in Norway from 29 percent in 2000 to 1 percent in 2020.
Answered on 13 December 2021
Whilst smoking rates have decreased amongst those aged 16 to 24 years old in Norway, overall levels of tobacco use have remained stable. Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful. We will continue to promote the use of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-12-03/86539
Hi guys,
My name is Darius and I am working with Swedish Match on the legalisation of snus in the UK. Our work so far has consisted in orchestrating a co-signed letter that Adam Afriyie sent to Matt Hancock in 2018, securing an article in the Telegraph which concerned the recommendation of a group of scientists led by David Nutt to legalise snus, as well as the placement of around 20 parliamentary questions on snus. I will post some of those below just in case you are interested.
The basic government line is to ignore all evidence and repeat the tag line that "all tobacco products are harmful". They rely on obfuscation and outdated evidence. This is where we turn to you.
We can only do so much as an organisation to put pressure on DHSC. MPs are far more responsive to the concerns of their constituents. So, we would like to speak to people in the UK who are either snus users or interested in tobacco harm reduction about sending letters to their MPs who, in turn, would write to the Minister or table a parliamentary question. This would not be illegal or dishonest in any way. This is simply an opportunity to launch a well-coordinated campaign so that your voices can be heard. I'm sure many of you are sick of the Department's lack of innovation and scientific ignorance.
If you are interested in this cause, please feel free to contact me on here or, even better, at darius@abzed.com. Again, this would require at maximum a minute of your time, as we would write and coordinate all the letters. All you have to do is press send. With the Tobacco Control Plan currently under construction, your email might just tip the balance in our favour.
Best,
Darius
Exemplar Parliamentary Questions:
Question; Lord Storey, Liberal Democrat, Lords
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the medical reasons for the ban of the smoking substitute snus.
Answered on 10 November 2021
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-10-19/hl3218
Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful and it is the Government’s policy to support people to quit all forms of tobacco use. Oral tobacco, or snus, is banned in the United Kingdom under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The Impact assessment on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products stated that oral tobacco products contain carcinogenic substances which are associated with a number of adverse health effects. Snus can also contain carcinogenic tobacco specific nitrosamines and other carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which also have been associated with several adverse health effects. A copy of the impact assessment is attached.
Question; Martyn Day, SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he would publish the data his Department holds on the average level of TSNA carcinogens found in (a) cigarettes, (b) heated tobacco, (c) e-cigarettes and (d) snus made according to the Gothiatek standard.
Answered on 19 November 2021
The Department does not hold data on the average level of TSNA carcinogens found in cigarettes, heated tobacco, e-cigarettes or snus.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-11-09/72542
Question; Martyn Day, SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a statement on The Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet in September 2017 which reported no evidence of harm caused by long-term use of snus for any health outcome.
Answered on 19 November 2021
The Department continues to monitor the international evidence on harms from tobacco, including snus. A report by The Norwegian Institute of Public Health published in 2019 reports that the use of Swedish snus may increase the risks of some serious adverse health outcomes and some less serious adverse health outcomes. The report is available at the following link:
https://www.fhi.no/en/publ/2019/health-risks-from-snus-use2/
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-11-09/72543
Question; Rosie Cooper, Labour, West Lancashire, Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November to Question 71299 on Smoking: Young People, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the fall in daily smoking among young people in Norway from 29 percent in 2000 to 1 percent in 2020.
Answered on 13 December 2021
Whilst smoking rates have decreased amongst those aged 16 to 24 years old in Norway, overall levels of tobacco use have remained stable. Evidence shows that the consumption of any tobacco product is harmful. We will continue to promote the use of nicotine replacement therapy and e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-12-03/86539